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3 


t 


THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE; 


OR, 


DAYS  OF  HORROR. 


SOME  APPALLING    EVENTS  IN  THE  HISTOEY   OF 
THE  SIOUX. 


BY  RI-;V.  AI<E;XANDF;R 


MORN  came.    Among  those  sleepless  multitudes 
Madness  and  fear  and  plague  and  famine  still 
Heaped  corpse  011  corpse,  as  in  autumnal  woods 
The  frosts  of  many  a  wind  with  dead  leaves  fill 
Karth's  cold  and  sullen  brooks.     In  silence,  still 
The  pale  survivors  stood.     l$re  noon,  the  fear 
Of  hell  became  a  panic,  which  did  kill 
Iyike  hunger  or  disease,  with  whispers  drear, 
As  "  Hush  !  hark  !    Come  they  yet  ?    God,  God  !  thine 
hour  is  near !" 

The  Revolt  of  Islam — SHELLEY. 


SAN  FRANCISCO: 
P.  J.  THOMAS,  PRINTER,  505  CLAY  STKKKT. 

1891. 


filtered  according  to  Act  of  Congress  in  the  year  1891. 

««•  .».     BY  ALEKAT^qpiu BERGHOLD. 
In  the  CtfiWof  the  t,tbr&iiatC o^  Congress  at  Washington. 


PREFACE. 


UTNDIAN  Horrors/'  "  Indian  Massacres,"  "  In- 
*-  dian  Cruelties" — these  are  among  the  titles  of 
the  sensational  works  written  for  the  sole  purpose 
of  catching  the  eye  of  the  public,  and  of  filling 
the  empty  pockets  of  their  authors.  These  lurid 
descriptions  are  new  means  to  obtain  that  end 
without  containing  anything  worth  reading.  The 
author  of  this  work,  however,  specifies  time, 
places,  persons,  and  all  the  circumstances  in  con 
nection  with  the  awful  deeds  described  therein. 
They  are  facts,  not  fancy.  Historical  facts  are 
ample  enough  without  drawing  upon  the  imagina 
tion  in  describing  the  awful  bloodshed  and  terri 
ble  catastrophes  here  recorded.  The  reader  can 
easily  see  that  the  contents  of  a  work  like  this  can 
not  be  fiction.  The  result  of  long  and  arduous 
labors  are  hereby  presented  to  the  public  for  the 
better  understanding  and  a  more  intelligent 
solution  of  the  very  important  problem:  "  The 
Indians  of  our  time;  what  they  really  are,  what 
they  have  done  and  are  even  now  doing."  This 

M31371 


4  RREFACE. 

is  an  addition  to  the  history  of  American  civiliza 
tion. 

New  Ulm  is  situated  in  Brown  County,  on  the 
right  shore  of  the  Minnesota  River,  and  is  named 
after  an  important  city  and  an  old  fort  standing 
on  the  shore  of  the  Danube  in  Wurtemberg. 
With  the  exception  of  about  sixteen  families  of 
other  nationalities,  the  inhabitants  of  New  Ulm 
are  Germans,  and  number  over  four  thousand. 
The  town-site  will  accommodate  comfortably  not 
less  than  100,000  inhabitants;  but,  for  its  situa 
tion,  rising  as  it  does,  terrace  after  terrace,  from 
the  bank  of  the  river  to  the  oak-crowned  hills  at 
the  back,  it  is  a  beautiful  spot.  It  can  boast  of  a 
finer  and  more  picturesque  location  than  that  of 
thousands  of  other  villages  and  towns.  Nearly  all 
the  working  classes  have  cosy  homes,  surrounded 
by  neat  gardens.  Built  of  stone  and  brick  are 
substantial  stores  and  costly  dwellings,  all  which 
bespeak  the  prosperity  of  this  little  German  burg. 
Two  monuments  adorn  the  city — that  of  Herman 
the  Cherusci,  and  the  Indian  monument  com 
memorating  the  siege  of  New  Ulm  in  1862. 

Ulm  is  a  conbination  of  the  initials  of  the  old 
Koman  legend,  "Ultra  limites  militares,"  which, 
translated,  reads  "  beyond  the  military  lines/'  as 


PREFACE.  5 

the  Romans  usually  called  the  territory  adjoining 
their  possessions  in  distant  countries. 

A  false  statement  in  reference  to  a  supposed 
outrage  committed  by  some  infidels  at  New  Ulm 
is  hereby  corrected.  Reports  have  been  published 
and  speeches  have  been  made  that  a  crucifix  was 
publicly  burned  by  the  "  infidels"  of  that  city. 
After  a  full  investigation  by  the  author  of  this 
work,  nothing  could  be  found  to  corroborate  this 
base  calumny.  All  that  can  be  said  with  regard 
to  this  matter  is,  briefly,  that  after  the  siege  of 
New  Ulm,  a  half -burnt  crucifix  was  found  on  the 
prairie  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Evangelical  church. 
The  crucifix  was  undoubtedly  purloined  from  one 
of  the  numerous  Catholic  houses  and  was  lost  or 
thrown  away  in  the  prairie.  Other  reports  to  the 
contrary  are  untrue,  and  may  be  set  down  as  a 
vile  slander. 

ALEXANDER  BERGHOLD. 

SANTA  ROSA,  Cal.,  Easter  Monday,  1891. 


CHAPTER   I. 


Introduction—The  Chicago  Land  Company:  its  Statutes. — 
A  Ball. — An  unscrupulous  Agent. — Michigan. — Iowa. — 
Two  Prospectors  sent  to  Minnesota. — The  first  Immi 
grants.— St.  Paul.— Fort  Snelling.-Henderson.-Le  Sueur. 
— Travers  des  Sioux. — An  Expedition  on  foot. — LaFrom- 
boise. — Looking  for  the  Promised  Land. — Forward. —  A 
deserted  Indian  Village.— Found  the  Place. 

THE  Winona  and  St.  Peter  B.  K.  was  opened 
for  public  traffic  and  the  event  was  duly 
celebrated  by  the  people  of  New  Ulm  on  the 
22d  day  of  February,  1872.  What  does  a  town 
without  a  railroad  amount  to  now-a-days?  So 
thought  the  citizens  of  New  Ulm.  And,  indeed, 
as  soon  as  this  genuine  German  village  was 
connected  by  rail  with  some  of  the  largest 
cities  of  the  United  States  a  wonderful  activity 
manifested  itself  on  all  sides.  A  happy  change 
had  suddenly  burst  upon  the  town,  and  the  san 
guine  hopes  of  the  people  of  seeing  their  village 
developed  into  a  city  seemed  justified.  The  num 
ber  of  residences  in  many  of  our  Western  cities  is 
to-day  greater  than  the  number  of  its  inhabitants 
of  a  decade  ago.  And  why  should  not  New  Ulm 
have  a  great  future  ? 
It  is  true  no  one  can  ascertain  with  any  degree 


THE   INDIANS     REVENGE;    OR 


of  031-tfeinty  la  wtai  Extent  New  Ulm  may  justly 
carry  its  hopes  in  regard  to  growth,  commerce  and 
jc^cJusSiy^  {Nor  its  t&at-  in^any  way  the  object  of 
this  work;  its  sole  aim  is  to  serve  as  a  memorial 
of  the  trials  and  sufferings  of  the  first  settlers  in 
Minnesota. 

The  establishment  of  this  colony,  and  its 
progress  thus  far,  embracing  a  period  of  only  a 
few  years,  contain,  nevertheless,  many  things  of 
great  interest  for  all  future  time.  It  is  the  object 
of  the  writer  to  briefly  record  in  these  pages  the 
result  of  his  laborious  research. 

The  history  of  the  city  from  its  foundation  up 
to  August,  1862,  is  partly  taken  from  the  columns 
of  the  "  New  Ulm  Pioneer"  and  partly  from  the 
testimony  of  eye-witnesses,  among  whom  the 
Messrs.  Ludwig  Meyer,  Athanasius  Henle  and 
Joseph  Darnbach  are  especially  entitled  to  the 
sincere  gratitude  of  the  author  for  their  kind 
services. 

Chicago  is  the  birth-place  of  New  Ulm.  Common 
laborers  were  attending  a  night  school  in  that  city 
for  the  purpose  of  learning  the  English  language. 
After  school  they  began  to  discuss  what  they  called 
"  social  emancipation."  They  desired  to  form  an 
association,  the  object  of  which  was  to  obtain  for 
themselves  civil  independence.  This  was  in  the 
year  1853.  Professional  men  soon  joined  them. 
There  was  talk  of  social  equality  and  the  right 
to  enter  claims  upon  land,  and,  filled  with  enthu 
siasm  for  their  cause,  they  resolved  to  carry  out 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER. 

their  plan.  They  dreaded  nothing  so  much  as  the 
danger  of  falling  into  the  hands  of  speculators. 
Hence  all  speculation  within  their  own  ranks  was 
prohibited.  They  considered  labor  and  not  money 
as  the  principal  means  for  obtaining  their  end.  If 
this  affair  is  undertaken  and  carried  on  with  energy 
and  honesty,  said  they,  it  cannot  but  prove  a  suc 
cess.  The  value  of  land  will  be  greatly  increased 
by  cultivation,  and  its  products  will  make  us 
wealthy,  and  wealth  will  enable  us  to  establish 
social  institutions  for  the  benefit  of  the  community. 

In  the  month  of  November,  1853,  an  article 
appeared  in  the  columns  of  the  "  Illinois  Staats- 
Zeitung"  of  Chicago,  detailing  the  idea  of  forming 
a  German  Land  Company.  Laboring  men  were 
especially  invited  to  attend  a  meeting  to  be  held 
at  the  residence  of  Albert  Blatz.  About  fifty 
were  present  at  that  meeting. 

After  the  officers  and  an  agent  had  been  duly 
elected,  the  following  resolution  was  adopted: 

"  The  object  of  the  German  Land  Company  is 
to  procure  a  home  for  every  German  laborer,  popish 
priests  and  lawyers  excepted,  in  some  healthy  and 
productive  district,  located  on  some  navigable 
river."  * 

The  Land  Company  proposed  to  purchase  a 
suitable  tract  of  land  at  a  low  figure  and  establish 
a  colony.  A  proper  site  for  a  town  where  the  soil 


"New  Ulm  Pioneer,"  March  11,  1859. 


10 


THE  INDIANS'  KEVENGE;   OK 


was  especially  adapted  to  horticulture   was  to  be 
chosen. 

The  agent  who  had  been  commissioned  to  make 
inquiries  and  report   soon  declared  that  he  knew 
of  a  suitable  tract  of  land,  but  that  he  would  not 
name  the  locality  until  the  Company  would  declare 
its  readiness   to   purchase   the   same   and   locate 
thereon.     The  reason  for  this  was,  that  he  feared 
a  third  party  might  purchase  said  tract  for  specu 
lative  purposes.     Upon  his  motion  it  was  resolved 
that  each  member  should  contribute  10  cents  each 
month  for  defraying  expenses.     The  members  de 
clared  their  readiness  to  pay  more,  but  in  vain. 
It  was  soon  learned,  however,  that  the  contribution 
was  too  small.    Nothing  could  be  done,  in  spite  of 
the  fact  that  the  number  of  members  had  within 
three  months  increased  to  about  300.     In  order  to 
create  a  fund  at  once  a  ball  was  held  in   North 
Market  Hall.     Members  not  wishing  to  take  part 
in  the  ball  were  obliged  to  pay  one  dollar  each, 
and  although  only  40  members  were  present  the 
affair  was  so  well  patronized  that  the  net  proceeds, 
bar  included,  after  deducting  $30  for  hall  rent  and 
$40  for  music,  amounted  to  $300. 

In  March,  1854,  a  second  call  for  taking  part  in 
the  proceedings  was  issued,  and  it  was  announced 
at  the  same  time  that  whoever  wanted  to  become 
a  member  had  to  do  so  within  a  certain  time,  or  at 
once  deposit  from  three  to  five  dollars  and 'enter 
a  week  later.  The  number  of  members  was  there 
by  increased  to  nearly  800. 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.        11 

Spring,  was  nigh,  and  navigation  would  soon 
open.  The  agent  entered  into  a  contract  with  the 
captain  of  a  vessel  to  carry  26  passengers,  for 
which  he  would  pay  him  $60.  Immediate  pos 
session  was  to  be  taken  of  the  tract  of  land  to 
which  the  agent  would  lead  them.  Twenty  per 
sons  were  to  remain  as  the  beginning  of  a  perma 
nent  settlement;  the  others  were  to  make  a  full 
investigation  and  report  to  the  society  upon  their 
return.  The  4th  day  of  April  was  decided  on  for 
their  departure.  A  general  assembly  took  place 
the  Sunday  previous  to  that  date .  The  agent  was 
requested  to  tell  them  where  the  land  was  located, 
but  be  refused  to  comply  with  this  request  unless 
each  member  would  pay  him  ten  cents  as  a  com 
pensation  for  his  journey.  The  meeting  would 
not  agree  to  this,  but  declared  their  willingness  to 
compensate  him  from  funds  belonging  to  their 
treasury.  The  agent  not  accepting  this  offer,  and 
refusing  to  give  any  explanation  in  regard  to  the 
location  of  the  land  in  question,  the  meeting 
adjourned. 

The  next  morning,  however,  the  captain  of  the 
vessel  was  interviewed.  His  answers  were  not  to 
the  point,  but  after  much  coaxing  declared  that  he 
had  agreed  to  carry  those  people  to  the  northern 
part  of  Michigan.  For  obvious  reasons  the  twenty 
would-be  settlers  refused  to  go  there,  and  the 
journey  was  not  undertaken. 

The  society  held  another  meeting  during  the 
week  following,  declared  their  want  of  confidence 


THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;   OR 

in  the  agent  and  finally  deposed  him.  At  the 
same  time  they  decided  to  send  a  committee  into 
Iowa  to  look  for  a  suitable  location.  These 
gentlemen  soon  returned  and  reported  to  their 
constituents  that  they  had  found  all  the  desirable 
tracts  of  land  in  that  State  already  occupied. 

The  society  felt  disappointed  and  discouraged 
after  these  unsuccessful  attempts,  but  the  plan 
was  not  given  up.  Four  weeks  later  a  committee 
of  two  were  sent  to  Minnesota,  and  upon  their 
return  reported  that  they  had  found  a  suitable 
place.  After  the  return  of  these  two  prospectors, 
Messrs.  Weiss  and  Kiessling,  from  the  land  of 
hopes  with  their  glad  tidings,  great  excitement 
was  caused  by  a  speech  in  which  the  speaker 
dwelt  with  great  warmth  upon  the  danger  of  losing 
that  beautiful  place  on  account  of  delay  in  secur 
ing  it. 

But  when  it  came  to  the  point  of  emigrating  to 
distant  Minnesota,  many  lost  all  courage,  and 
among  these  were  such  as  had  been  boldest  in 
speech.  Others  tried  to  make  fun  of  the  whole 
affair.  A  few  earnest  and  resolute  men,  however, 
prepared  at  once  to  leave  Chicago  and  to  take 
possession  of  that  place  and  establish  homes  for 
themselves.  Among  these  first  immigrants  were 
M.  Wall,  -  Walser,  the  two  brothers  Henle, 
Dambach,  the  two  brothers  Haeberle,  Ludwig 
Meyer,  W.  Winkelmann,  Palmer,  Kleinknecht, 
the  two  brothers  Mack,  L.  Hermann  and  wife,' 
Kraemer,  Schwarz,  Weiss,  Elise  Finke,  afterwards 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.        13 

married  to  A.  Henle,  Julius  with  wife  and  child, 
Thiele,  Boeringen,  Wiedemann,  Massapust,  Zettel 
with  wife  and  child,  J.  Brandt,  Koch  and  Drexler. 
Of  the  thirteen  first  named  all  still  reside  at  New 
Ulm,  except  one  of  the  brothers  Mack  and  one 
of  the  brothers  Haeberle.  The  latter  was  mur 
dered  by  the  Indians  in  1862. 

The  six  last  named  were  aJso  killed  by  the  In 
dians;  some  of  them,  like  Zettel,  with  their  fami 
lies.  J.  Brandt,  the  redskins'  first  victim,  was 
shot  in  1857;  the  others  fell  during  the  great  mas 
sacre  of  1862,  of  which  a  detailed  account  will  be 
given  presently.  L.  Hermann  and  Kramer  now 
live  in  St.  Paul.  Julius,  Boeringen  and  Wiede- 
mann  are  dead.  The  whereabouts  of  Schwarz,  the 
surveyor,  and  Weiss  could  not  be  ascertained. 

From  Chicago  they  went  to  Galena,  15  miles  by 
rail,  thence  by  steamer  to  St.  Paul.  The  distance 
from  Chicago  to  their  future  home  was  about  600 
miles.  Athanasius  Henle,  Massapust  and  Walser 
had  set  out  on  their  journey  sooner  than  their 
companions,  and  when  they  reached  Stillwater,  a 
famous  lumbering  town  beautifully  located  on  the 
St.  Croix  Biver  and  adjoining  Wisconsin,  they 
were  sorely  tempted  to  remain  there. 

At  St.  Paul  the  little  company,  except  A.  Henle, 
Walser  and  Haeberle,  went  aboard  the  "  Jeanette 
Boberts"  and  sailed  to  Fort  Snelling,  six  miles 
above  St.  Paul,  thence  up  the  Minnesota  Biver 
towards  their  destination.  The  three  gentlemen 
named  above  preferred  to  go  by  team,  the  distance 


THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;   OB 

from   St.  Paul  being  only  70  miles.     The   party 
tarried  a  while  at  Shakopee,  and,  when  they  left,  a 
stranger's   valise   went  with  them.     It  had  acci 
dentally   been  placed  in   their   wagon,    and   the 
sheriff  captured  the  erring  valise  five  miles  from 
Shakopee.     At  Henderson  the   party  put  up   for 
the  night  at  Hoescher's  boarding-house,  intending 
to  go  to  Le  Sueur  the  following  day,  a  distance  of 
only  four  miles.     Le  Sueur  contained  at  the  time 
only  three   or  four   houses,  but   they   were   very 
anxious  to  reach  that  place  and  feast   their   eyes 
upon  the  beauty  of   their   new  home.     The  site 
chosen  for  the   new  town  was  only  a  few  miles 
opposite  Le  Sueur  on  the  left  bank  of  the   Min 
nesota  River.     Between  Henderson  and  Le  Sueur 
they  were  met  by  some  three  or  four  hundred  In 
dians  in  war  costume  and  savage  appearance.     It 
is  needless  to  say  that  our  immigrants  were  ill  at 
ease,  seeing  the   Sioux  for   the  first  time.     But 
their  fears   were   soon  allayed.     Somehow  their 
wagon  was  upset,  and  the  Indians  rendering  them 
assistance  in  the  emergency  was  a  sign  they  meant 
no  harm.     The  others  arrived  safe  at  Le  Sueur  by 
steamer,  and  from  there  they  went  together  to  the 
new  town-site  which  had  been  laid  out  at  Chicago, 
and  each  one's  lot  or  lots  determined  by  chance.  ' 
Three  miles  from  Le  Sueur,  on  the  left  bank  of 
the  Minnesota  River,  on  a  plateau  rising  steeply 
from  the  edge  of  the  water,  they  found  the  chosen 
town-site.     But  no  one  was  pleased  with  the  loca 
tion.      It  is  true,  the  place  was  mostly  covered 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.        15 

with  trees;  there  was  an  extensive  forest  at  hand 
stretching  for  many  miles  towards  the  north  and 
the  west,  a  beautiful  meadow  at  the  foot  of  a  hill 
through  which  a  canal  could  be  dug,  all  of  which 
had  been  discussed  during  the  journey.  Still  the 
site  was  rejected. 

It  was  a  warm  day  in  September.  Exertion 
and  excitement  had  created  a  burning  thirst. 
The  town-site  did  not  offer  one  single  drop  of 
water.  The  well-matured  plans  for  a  canal,  a 
harbor,  zig-zag  streets,  etc.,  were  abandoned,  and, 
bidding  the  place  a  lingering  farewell,  they  re 
turned  to  Le  Sueur,  where  they  determined  to 
visit  Travers  des  Sioux,  an  important  trading  post 
some  fourteen  miles  from  Le  Sueur.  It  is  worthy 
of  remark  that,  in  spite  of  their  disappointment 
concerning  the  town-site,  no  discouragement  or 
mutiny  could  be  noticed. 

At  Travers  they  met  a  man  who  had  a  great  deal 
to  say  concerning  an  excellent  town-site.  The 
following  day  eleven  of  the  party  started  out  to 
see  the  place.  It  was  about  eight  miles  from 
Travers.  They  found  an  extensive  slough,  cov 
ered  with  tall  grass.  No  one  was  in  favor  of  the 
place  except  the  man  who  did  the  talking,  and 
who  spoke  of  leading  the  waters  of  Swan  Lake 
into  the  Minnesota  Kiver  and  of  building  factories 
along  that  canal. 

Seven  of  the  party  returned  to  Travers.  The 
remaining  four,  A.  Henle,  Ludwig  Meyer,  Fr. 
Massapust  and  Alois  Palmer,  wanted  to  prospect 


16  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;   OK 

the  district  west  of  Swan  Lake  which  appeared 
extremely  inviting  from  a  distance,  and,  at  all 
hazards,  find  a  place  which  would  correspond  to 
the  description  given  in  the  statutes  of  the  Land 
Company,  that  the  town-site  should  be  covered 
with  timber  and  located  on  the  bank  of  a  river, 
and  also  answer  the  wishes  of  the  members  of  the 
society. 

After  having  spent  a  chilly  night  amid  the 
prairie  grass,  and  altogether  unprepared  for  a  fur 
ther  expedition,  they  wandered  along  the  shores 
of  the  lake  in  a  westerly  direction,  making  their 
way  through  the  tall  and  heavy  grass  with  the 
greatest  difficulty.  Hunger  and  fatigue  came 
upon  them,  when,  fortunately,  they  found  a  trail 
on  which  a  company  of  soldiers  were  just  then 
marching  toward  the  newly-erected  Fort  Eidgely. 
A  German  soldier  sympathized  with  his  starving 
countrymen,  who  understood  but  very  little 
English,  and  gave  them  a  piece  of  bacon  and  a 
large  potato.  Soon  after  this  frugal  repast  Alois 
Palmer  drank  of  the  water  of  a  small  creek,  and, 
to  the  sincere  regret  of  his  companions,  was  taken 
sick  with  the  fever.  But  this  did  nqt  prevent  him 
from  continuing  his  journey.  ,  At  dusk  they  di 
rected  their  steps  toward  a  shanty,  but  found  it 
vacant.  It  belonged  to  a  half-breed  who  had  de 
serted  the  hut  and  gone  to  the  Sioux  agency  on 
business. 

They  went  farther  and  soon  heard  the  voices  of 
children  and  the  barking  of  dogs.     Going  in  the 


DAYS  OP  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.       17 

direction  whence  these  cheerful  sounds  came  they 
found  another  shanty.  A  new  settler,  an  Ameri 
can  gentleman,  had  just  moved  in,  and  could 
neither  give  them  anything  to  eat  nor  offer  them 
shelter  for  the  night.  The  good  man,  however, 
directed  them  to  an  Indian  trail  which  would  lead 
them  to  a  Frenchman's  place  where  they  could 
obtain  the  necessary  accommodations.  They  were 
now  about  34  miles  from  Travers,  and  from  6  to 
8  miles  from  the  place  to  which  they  had  just  been 
directed  to  go.  They  reached  there  at  about 
midnight.  The  owner  was  a  Frenchman,  La 
Fromboise,*  who  was  married  to  a  squaw  and 
traded  with  the  Indians.  He  had  a  hired  man 
who  was  a  German,  and  this  secured  for  them  a 
friendly  reception.  They  strengthened  the  inner 
man  with  the  flesh  of  muskrats  and  coffee,  and 
sought  a  night's  repose  in  the  company  of  some 
fifty  Indians.  It  goes  without  saying  that,  unac 
customed  as  they  were  to  such  company,  they  felt 
somewhat  uneasy. 

The  next  morning  they  paid  the  friendly  land 
lord  a  visit,  and  learned  from  him  that  he  was  a 
Canadian,  had  lived  there  trading  with  the  Indians 
for  19  years,  and  had  been  married  for  the  third 
time  to  a  squaw.  His  place  was  four  miles  distant 
from  Fort  Eidgely,  and  twelve  miles  northwest  of 
the  place  where  New  Ulm  was  destined  to  be 
built.  The  Minnesota  River,  up  to  La  Fromboise's 

*  The  "  New  Ulm  Pioneer  "  has  it  La  Trombocie. 


18  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;   OR 

place,  comes  from  a  northwesterly  point,  takes  a 
more  easterly  direction  at  New  Ulm  and  follows 
this  course  for  about  twenty  miles  to  Maukato,  at 
which  point  it  turns  northward  towards  Travers. 

This  man,  whose  name  is  interwoven  with  the 
early  history  of  Minnesota,  was  very  kind  and  was 
perfectly  delighted  when  he  heard  that  some 
Germans  intended  to  establish  a  colony  in  his 
neighborhood.  He  immediately  offered  drinks, 
lighted  a  long  Indian  pipe  from  which  they  smoked 
by  turns,  and  declared  himself  very  willing  and 
anxious  to  show  them  the  most  suitable  location 
that  could  be  found  in  that  country.  Filled  with 
joy  at  the  thought  of  having  in  his  old  age  white 
men  was  neighbors,  he  led  the  prospectors  to  the 
door  and  pointed  out  the  place.  They  promised 
to  commend  him  to  the  special  friendship  of  the 
settlers,  whereupon  his  son  carried  them  across 
the  river  in  a  canoe. 

They  marched  in  a  southeasterly  direction,  as 
they  were  told  to  do,  traversed  a  beautiful  forest 
clad  with  heavy  wild  vines  laden  with  ripe  grapes, 
found  pure  springs  of  fresh  water,  crossed  creeks, 
and  at  times  wandered  about  over  the  prairies, 
thus  spending  the  day.  Toward  evening  they 
struck  an  Indian  trail  and  followed  it,  hoping  to 
find  some  abode  where  they  might  pass  the  night. 
Night  came  and  darkness  covered  the  earth,  but 
the  coveted  place  was  not  found.  Nothing  re 
mained  for  them  but  to  prepare  for  the  night  as 
well  as  circumstances  would  permit.  After  par- 


DAYS   OF   HOBBOB   ON   THE   FRONTIEE.  19 

taking  of  some  Indian  bread  and  water  they  lay 
down  to  sleep.  The  dense  forest  offered  them 
some  protection,  but  towards  morning  the  atmos 
phere  became  so  decidedly  cold  that  they  were 
compelled  to  rise  and  hurry  towards  a  lime-kiln 
from  which  Fort  Bidgely  drew  its  supply  of  lime, 
and  in  the  neighborhood  of  which  they  would  find 
their  land  of  promise.  Completely  worn  out,  their 
limbs  stiffened  from  the  cold  and  their  feet 
wounded  and  sore,  they  trudged  along. 

Finally  they  met  a  half-breed  who  informed  them 
that  the  coveted  place  was  yet  ten  miles  off.  They 
had  missed  the  right  direction  and  were  on  the 
point  of  giving  way  to  discouragement  when  one 
of  them  filled  his  mouth  with  tobacco,  assuring 
himself  and  his  companions  of  its  capacity  of  im 
parting  fresh  courage,  and  pointing  to  his  long 
feet  said:  "Forward  !" 

After  another  tedious  march  they  stood  on  the 
banks  of  the  Cottonwood,  a  river  tributary  to  the 
Minnesota  and  called  Waraju  by  the  Indians. 
The  place  for  which  they  were  looking  was  near 
that  river,  they  had  been  told.  There  they  found 
two  deserted  Indian  huts,  made  of  long  poles 
about  two  inches  in  diameter,  set  up  in  the  form 
of  a  circle,  and  covered  with  bark.  Tired  and 
hungry  they  stretched  their  aching  limbs  upon 
hard  beds  made  of  bark,  and,  envying  those  whom 
they  had  left  behind  at  Travers  for  their  supper 
and  bed,  they  fell  asleep,  very  little  dreaming  that 


20 


THE   INDIANS*   REVENGE;    OR 


they  had  actually  crossed  the  future  town-site  only 
about  a  mile  from  the  wretched  quarters. 

'When  they  awoke  the  next  morning  the  sun 
stood  high  in  the  heavens,  and  to  their  great  sur 
prise  they  found  themselves  in  the  heart  of  an 
Indian  village,  but  the  Indians  were  all  absent. 
They  also  noticed  a  number  of  corpses  hoisted 
upon  eight-foot  poles,  one  mode  of  burial  with 
some  tribes  of  Indians. 

Bleaching  bones  and  grinning  skulls  were  not  a 
very  pleasant  sight  to  behold.     It  was  indeed  a 
ghastly  spectacle;   but  the  natural  beauty  of  the 
place  where  the  Cottonwood  empties  into  the  Min 
nesota  worked  like  magic  upon  their  tired  brains 
and  weary  hearts.     They  began  to  moralize  upon 
their  fate,  imagining  that  they  had  at  last  found 
the  right  place.     Presently  they  noticed  the  lime 
kiln  on  the  other  side  of  the  river.     A  Winnebago 
Indian*  who  chanced  to  pass  there  on  horseback 
offered  to   carry  them  on  his  horse,  one  by  one, 
across  the  Cottonwood.     They  accepted  his  offer 
and  paid   him  twenty-five   cents.      In    hopes  of 
finding   something   to   eat   they   hurried    toward 
the  lime-kiln.     Nor  were  they  disappointed.     Not 
only  ducks,  but  also  muskrats  gave  up  their  lives 
for  the  cause.     The  country  in  the  neighborhood 
of   the   Cottonwood  and   Minnesota  Rivers   pos 
sessed,  indeed,  all  the  advantages  for  the  desired 
town-site. 

The  "New  Ulm  Pioneer"  has  it  Canadian-Frenchman. 


CHAPTER  II. 


New  Ulm.— Cotton  wood  Kiver.— Productive  Soil. — The  Four 
Pathfinders  Return. — New,  Arrivals. — Fresh  Courage. 
— An  American  Founder  of  Cities. — The  New  Home. — 
Beginning  for  Winter  Quarters.— The  First  Log  House. 
— Scarcity  of  Provisions. — A  Noble  Frenchman. — Hos 
pitality  of  the  Indians. — A  Supply  House. — Smuggling 
to  Fort  Eidgely. — Indians. — A  Lawsuit  about  Land. — 
La  Fromboise  helps. — Small-pox  among  the  Indians. — 
A  Deserted  Corpse.— Trade.— The  Log  House  destroyed 
by  Fire. — Cold  and  Hunger. — An  Infant  Baptism. — Plan 
of  the  City. — Quarrels  and  Disagreements. — Two  Town- 
sites. — A  Surveyor. — A  New  Organization. — Fight  with 
the  Indians. — First  Owners  of  Homes. — New  Ulm. 

THE  right  bank  of  the  Cottonwood  was  thickly 
covered  with  heavy  timber,  and  was  well 
adapted  for  mills  and  factories.*  Beginning  from 
its  entrance  into  the  Minnesota,  an  immense  forest 
stretches  along  its  right  bank.  There  is  an  abun 
dance  of  lime-stone  near  the  kiln,  and  on  the  left 
bank  of  the  Minnesota  is  an  extensive  quarry  of 

*  Only  an  inexperienced  eye  will  regard  the  deep  Cotton- 
wood  with  its  pretty  swift  current  adapted  for  factories. 
Whoever  can  see  that  river  in  the  Spring  of  the  year,  rising 
sometimes  15  feet  above  the  water  mark,  and  sending  its 
mighty  waters  over  the  low  lands,  will  easily  understand  that 
the  building  of  factories  would  be  subject  to  enormous 
expense.  There  are  points  further  up  the  river  favorable 
for  such  enterprises.  The  water  is  clear  and  fresh,  and 
contains  an  abundance  of  fine  fish. 


22  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;   OB 

red  stone  from  which  that  place  derives  its  name. 
Scarcely  three  miles  to  the  north  was  the  forest  in 
which  they  were  wandering  about  the  previous 
day,  and  which  stretches  many  a  day's  journey 
along  the  Minnesota.  Bordering  on  these  forests, 
nowhere  very  wide,  are  those  immense  prairies 
which  compare  favorably  with  the  best  lands  in 
the  United  States,  as  far  as  fertility  and  natural 
beauty  is  concerned.  One  can  easily  see  why, 
under  such  circumstances,  they  so  gladly  went 
back,  a  distance  of  about  thirty  miles.  Palmer, 
completely  worn  out,  suggested  a  night's  rest. 
Henle  answered:  "I  have  long  legs;  follow  me 
who  will." 

At  midnight  they  reached  Travers.  Most  of 
their  companions  whom  they  had  left  there  had 
not  yet  -gone  to  bed.  "  Have  you  found  a  place  ?  " 
they  asked.  The  prospectors  answered:  "We 
have  found  a  very  fine  place;  the  houses  are  ready 
for  you  to  move  in,  and  the  graveyard  is  also  near 
at  hand/'  They  had  reference  to  the  Indian  vil 
lage,  and  although  the  answer  sounded  somewhat 
strange,  there  was  complete  satisfaction  depicted 
upon  their  countenances.  Next  day  they  all  de 
cided  to  depart  for  that  place.  The  excitement 
caused  by  the  return  of  these  four  pathfinders  was 
so  great  that  they  were  roused  from  their  slumbers 
early  in  the  morning  in  order  to  give  a  detailed 
account  of  their  expedition.  Their  number  had 
considerably  increased  through  new  arrivals  from 
Chicago. 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.       23 

It  was  on  the  8th  day  of  October.  After  they 
had  attentively  listened  to  an  account  which  proved 
satisfactory  to  all  present,  they  took  their  break 
fast  and  prepared  for  a  move  toward  the  lime-kiln. 
Courage  and  alacrity  animated  the  whole  company, 
and  only  a  few  of  them  felt  sufficiently  fatigued  at 
times  to  accept  a  short  ride  on  the  wagon.  It  was 
thought  that  they  had  sufficient  provisions  for  the 
time  being. 

It  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  note  here  that  the 
company,  now  numbering  30  men,  was  principally 
made  up  of  immigrants  from  Europe  who,  on  ac 
count  of  the  prevalence  of  cholera  in  Chicago, 
desired  to  go  West,  and  were  neither  acquainted 
with  the  hardships  of  frontier  life  in  general  nor 
with  the  rigors  of  a  Minnesota  climate. 

The  first  day  brought  them  to  the  home  of  an 
American  gentleman,  who  had  laid  out  a  city  of 
his  own,  and  who  tried  hard  to  persuade  them  to 
remain  there.  Some  of  them  were  almost  inclined 
to  accept  the  invitation  of  the  "founder  of  a  city," 
but  most  of  them  were  opposed  to  it,  and  the  next 
morning  they  went  farther  toward  the  West. 

They  had  seen  some  very  fine  fruit  at  that  place, 
raised  on  the  spot,  as  they  were  told,  and  they  re 
solved  to  try  fruit-raising  on  still  better  soil.  Of 
that  city  nothing  is  known.  After  having  crossed 
the  Minnesota  they  soon  reached  the  hospitable 
owner  of  the  lime-kiln.  Of  course  they  could  not 
all  find  shelter  under  his  little  roof,  and  most  of 
them  decided  on  going  to  the  Indian  village  in 


24  THE    INDIANS*   REVENGE;     OB 

which  the  four  hungry  prospectors  had  lodged, 
unconscious  of  their  whereabouts,  like  Odysseus 
of  old. 

The  first  thing  they  did  next  morning  was  to 
look  for  the  place  of  which  they  had  heard  so 
much,  and  which  the  prospectors  had  crossed  in  the 
dark.  Standing  near  the  Cottonwood  they  were 
waiting  for  the  sun  to  rise.  And  as  the  sun's  rays 
began  to  brighten  and  enlarge  the  horizon,  innu 
merable  objects  rose  before  their  wondering  gaze. 
The  red  rock  of  the  Bed  Stone  on  the  left  bank 
of  the  Minnesota,  was  a  most  interesting  sight  to 
behold.  Their  surroundings  made  so  favorable 
an  impression  upon  them  that  they  felt  completely 
at  home.  There  was  universal  satisfaction.  The 
place  chosen  for  a  town-site,  bounded  by  the  Min 
nesota  and  Cottonwood  rivers,  and  beautifully 
located,  was  not  sufficiently  covered  with  timber  to 
answer  the  requirements  of  the  statutes.  When 
Massapust  called  the  attention  of  his  companions 
to  this  fact,  Henle  answered  that  city  folks  ought 
to  buy  wood  from  the  farmers.  Although  not 
perfectly  agreed  as  yet  on  the  new  town-site,  they 
became  alarmed  when  they  saw  several  wagons 
moving  at  a  distance.  They  were  covered  with 
canvas,  and,  no  doubt,  belonged  to  immigrants.  A 
report  had  been  circulated  that  Canadians  as  well 
as  a  St.  Louis  company  had  actually  contemplated 
the  building  of  a  town  on  that  beautiful  spot. 
For  that  reason  they  immediately  went  to  work 
setting  up  high  poles  and  covering  them  with 


DATS    OF   HORROR   ON   THE   FRONTIER.  25 

bundles  of  grass  to  indicate  that  the  place  was 
occupied.  When  the  wagons  approached  they 
found  that  they  belonged  to  Government  sur 
veyors. 

The  first  thing  to  be  done  now  was  to  prepare 
for  winter  quarters.  It  was  growing  colder  day 
by  day.  They  could  not  remain  on  the  open 
prairie,  nor  could  they  expect  to  find  accommoda 
tions  at  the  Indian  village.  An  Indian  had 
already  informed  them  that  it  were  better  for  them 
to  move  away  from  there.  Remembering  now 
that  the  district  where  the  prospectors  had  found 
hospitable  quarters  with  the  trader,  La  From- 
boise,  was  thickly  covered  with  timber  find  shrub 
bery,  and  that  he  had  promised  the  settlers  pro 
tection  and  counsel;  and  considering,  furthermore, 
that  it  would  be  well  for  them  to  be  within  the 
reach  of  the  Fort  in  case  of  need,  they  resolved 
to  spend  the  winter  in  the  neighborhood  of  La 
Fromboise  and  Fort  Eidgely.  They  broke  up 
again,  and  crossing  the  future  town-site,  they 
went  up  the  bank  of  the  Minnesota.  Four  miles 
from  La  .r  romboise's  place  they  found  an  Indian 
village.  The  Indians  having  gone  to  the  Fort  for 
their  pay,  they  took  possession  of  the  huts  until 
they  could  finish  a  little  log  cabin.  Thus  far  they 
were  safe;  but  soon  the  scarcity  of  provisions 
became  'apparent.  The  two  barrels  of  flour  and 
the  few  potatoes  purchased  from  a  half-breed, 
and  which  lasted  only  about  two  weeks,  were  soon 
2 


26  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;   OR 

consumed.  They  had  good  appetites,  which  were 
strengthened  by  the  eating  of  wild  grapes,  of 
which  there  were  an  abundance  in  the  forest. 
Many,  too,  had  left  Chicago,  where  cholera  pre 
vailed,  partly  infected  by  the  disease;  and  their 
systems,  strengthened  and  purified  by  exercise, 
fresh  air  and  a  healthy  climate,  they  were  almost 
wild  with  hunger. 

The  dangers  of  the  situation  were  not  under 
stood  at  the  beginning  of  winter.     The  nearest 
places  from  which  they  might  expect  assistance  in 
case  of  extreme  need  were  Fort  Ridgely,  ten  miles 
above,  and  Travers  des  Sioux,  35  miles  below  their 
present  abode.     They   had   only   one  wagon  and 
four   oxen,    two    of    which    soon    died,    and    the 
remaining  two  were  so  poor  that  they  could  not 
move  the  empty  wagon.     They  had  very  little  hay. 
The   noble   La  Fromboise  rendered  them  all  the 
assistance  possible.     And  so,  in  spite  of  their  $20 
gold    coins,    they   had    to    suffer   severe    hunger. 
The  brothers  Mack,  therefore,  undertook  a  trip  to 
Fort  Ridgely  to  purchase  some  provisions.     They 
missed   the   road,    and,    instead    of    reaching  the 
point  where  they  would  cross  the  river  in  a  canoe, 
they  arrived  at  night  at  an  Indian  camp  to  which 
blazing   fires   beckoned   them.     They   received   a 
hearty  welcome,  and  were  hospitably  served  with 
game.     Next  morning  they  were  directed  to  the 
right  road,  and  they  reached  the  place  in  safety. 

Being  obliged  to  remain  a  little  too  long  at  Fort 
Ridgely,  they  were   compelled   to   pass   the  next 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.       27 

night  in  the  open  air,  and  they  lodged  under  a 
tree.  Next  day  they  reached  home  safe.  In  the 
meantime  two  new-comers  had  arrrived  at  the 
cabin,  who  brought  a  good  appetite  but  very  few 
eatables.  Joseph  Dambach*  decided  to  procure  a 
good  quantity  of  provisions,  and  for  that  purpose 
undertook  a  trip  to  St.  Paul,  a  distance  of  130 
miles.  They  were  all  in  good  spirits,  especially 
when  they  learned  that  the  Indians  would  not 
return  during  that  winter,  and  that  they  were  free 
to  occupy  their  comfortable  palaces  of  bark  with 
out  paying  a  high  rent.  They  visited  Fort  Ridgely 
regularly  in  search  of  provisions.  But  as  they 
could  obtain  such  things  as  that  only  by  irregular 
methods,  they  would  often  run  a  regular  race  to 
secure  the  heads  of  hogs  and  cattle  and  other 
refuse.  Sometimes  two  or  three  would  start  out 
in  the  dead  of  night  to  outdo  others  who  also 
intended  to  go.  Happy  was  he  who  could  offer  a 
few  drinks  of  whisky,  by  which  he  could  obtain 
more  from  the  soldiers  than  by  offering  money. 
These  bargains  were  strictly  prohibited  by  the 
commander,  especially  when  there  was  a  question 
about  whisky,  and  they  were  compelled  to  resort 
to  all  manner  of  intrigues  in  order  to  obtain  some 
thing  in  the  line  of  eatables.  A  saw-mill  con 
nected  with  Fort  Eidgely  was  a  veritable  place  of 
refuge;  here  the  hungry  settler  and  the  thirsty 
soldier  exchanged  the  necessaries  of  life  to  their 
mutual  satisfaction. 

*  Joseph  Dambach  died  in  the  beginning  of  1891. 


THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;  OK 

They  were  somewhat   disappointed    when  they 
saw  the  Indians  return  singly  and  in  bands.     The 
first  troop  was  accompanied  by  a  savage  music- 
band  and  a  chief.     When  these  Indians,  who  were 
of  the  Sioux,  noticed  that  the  whites  had  taken 
possession   of     their     reservation,    they     became 
greatly  incensed.     The  chief  appeared  in  the  log 
cabin,  took   the  oldest  of   the  intruders  (Ludwig 
Meyer)  by  the  hand  and  demanded  an  account  for 
his  actions.     Among  other  things  he  showed  him 
several  holes  that  had  been  cut  into  some  of  their 
huts,   and   gave   him    to    understand   that   those 
tepees  were  ruined.     Some  of  the  Indians  spoke 
of    "nippo"    which   means   killing,    unless   they 
departed  ("pokatshi.") 

It  was  evident  that  much  talk  was  out  of  place. 
Here  was  an  international  difficulty,  and  it  could 
but   be   settled  in  a  manner  which   is   customary 
among  the  merchants  on  the  oasis  of  Sahara.     For 
example,  at  the  great  market-place  of  Timbuctoo, 
the   chief,  by  means  of    signs,  said:  "You  have 
trespassed  upon  our  rights  secured  to  us  by  writ 
ing.     The  law  forbids  you  to  live  here.     This  land 
down  to  the  Cottonwood,  down  into  that  prairie, 
down  there  and  up  that  way  belongs  to  us.     I  will 
report  you  to  the  chief  at  Fort  Bidgely."     Drop 
ping  the  hand  with  which  he  had  pointed  out  the 
limits  of  his  reserve,  the  son  of  the  forest  proudly 
withdrew. 

The  difficulty  was  not  settled  at  Fort  Bidgely, 
but  was  referred  to  the  Governor  at  St.  Paul,  who 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.        29 

decided  that  if  the  settlers  were  not  located  on 
government  land  they  should  move;  but  if  such 
were  the  case  the  Sioux  should  retire  to  their 
reservation.  The  Sioux  owned  a  tract  of  land, 
beginning  about  nine  miles  from  the  present  city 
of  2vew  Ulru  and  extending  10  miles  on  each  bide 
of  the  Minnesota  up  to  Big  Stone  Lake. 

The  settlers  felt  that  they  were  in  an  awkward 
position.  The  Governor's  decision  was  to  be 
enforced  by  a  people  who  naturally  loved  to 
remain  undisturbed  in  the  possession  of  their 
lands,  and  who  knew  how  their  forefathers,  once 
the  proud  possessors  of  vast  tracts,  were  driven 
from  them.  No  wonder  the  settlers  looked  for 
assistance  in  case  of  need.  They  had  reason  to 
fear  the  destruction  of  their  winter  quarters;  yea, 
even  their  lives  were  endangered.  They  now 
recollected  the  promises  of  the  noble  La  From- 
boise  who,  as  a  much  respected  trader  and  related 
to  the  Sioux  by  marriage,  might  exert  a  powerful 
influence  upon  the  Indians.  They  were  not  dis 
appointed.  Through  his  influence  the  Indians  at 
once  broke  up,  and  some  of  them  settled  down  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Fromboise;  the  others  went 
some  distance  up  the  river. 

The  difficulty  having  been  thus  settled,  winter 
came,  and  with  it  a  terrible  scourge  for  the 
Indians.  Small-pox  broke  out  among  them.  This 
so  terrified  the  Sioux  that  they  left  the  place 
altogether.  Probably  they  left  because  they 
learned  that  the  place  which  they  then  occupied 


30  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;  OR 

was  not  on  their  reservation.  The  tepees  of  the 
neighboring  village  had  been  deprived  of  their 
coverings,  consisting  of  the  hides  of  buffaloes  and 
of  bark.  One  corpse  had  been  left  behind.  The 
Sioux  show  great  respect  for  their  dead;  and  the 
fact  of  having  deserted  this  corpse  was  looked 
upon  by  the  settlers  as  a  superstitious  practice  in 
honor  of  the  "great  spirit."  Neither  did  the 
Sioux  afterwards  claim  the  body  nor  bury  it.  But 
when  the  wolves  came  near  devouring  it,  the  set 
tlers  buried  it. 

What  strange  feelings  overcame  us  on  beholding 
these  once  noble  Indian  tribes  who,  centuries  ago, 
so  hospitably  received  and  entertained  our  fore 
fathers,  now  roaming  about  like  beggars  in  their 
own  inheritance,  and  dying  inch  by  inch  amid  the 
ruins  of  their  former  greatness !  What  feelings, 
when  we  beheld  the  irresistible  white  race  fall  upon 
these  children  of  nature  with  fire  and  sword!  Is 
it  civilization  that  is  brought  to  them  ?  Small-pox, 
debauchery  and  whisky  are  the  gifts,  if  not  pow 
der  and  lead. 

During  the  winter,  which  was  very  mild,  Indians 
used  to  come  to  their  former  village  to  do  some 
trading  with  the  settlers.  They  always  met  with 
a  friendly  reception.  The  articles  which  they 
were  wont  to  offer  in  exchange  for  provisions, 
such  as  mocassins,  bracelets,  rings,  etc.,  were  not 
accepted  by  the  settlers,  but  they  gave  them  what 
ever  eatables  they  could  spare.  Thus  they  came 
and  went  on  in  a  friendly  footing.  Many  a  Sioux 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.       31 

who  was  the  recipient  of  favors  at  the  hands  of  the 
settlers  at  that  time  returned  the  same  during  the 
fatal  mouth  of  August,  1862,  with  his  deadly  toma 
hawk  and  bullet. 

In  order  not  to  let  time  pass  idly  by  they  se 
lected,  early  in  the  winter,  a  place  for  a  sawmill 
to  be  run  by  water  power.  It  was  immediately 
cleared  of  timber  and  shrubbery,  and  logs  were 
cut.  The  snow  grew  deeper  and  deeper.  They 
had  plenty  of  fuel  to  run  their  three  stoves,  and 
were  tolerably  well  supplied  with  provisions. 
They  began  to  feel  comfortable.  Then  came  the 
15th  of  February,  a  terribly  cold  day,  which 
caused  them  to  build  a  larger  fire  than  usual,  and 
one  of  the  stove-pipes  set  fire  to  the  roof,  which 
was  made  of  straw  and  was  just  then  free  of  snow. 
The  fire  was  not  discovered  until  the  whole  cabin 
was  enveloped  in  flames,  and  the  burning  cinders 
fell  upon  the  floor  beside  a  bed  on  which  one  of 
the  party  was  lying  sick.  The  cabin  and  with  it 
many  of  the  necessaries  of  life  was  burned,  but 
no  one  was  injured. 

After  the  fire  the  settlers  were  compelled  to 
enter  the  miserable  Indian  tepees  a  second  time, 
and  they  felt  it  the  more  keenly  on  account  of  the 
severe  cold  weather  and  the  want  of  clothing  and 
provisions.  Fathers  of  families  who  were  at  this 
time  compelled  from  sheer  necessity  to  go  to  Fort 
Bidgely  were  often  obliged  to  return  with  empty 
hands,  because  the  supply  at  that  place  was  fast 
failing.  La  Fromboise  had  given  them  some  straw 


THE  INDIANS    REVENGE;   OR 

with  which  they  covered  one  of  the  huts,  and  put 
a  stove  in  it.  But  this  was  poor  protection  against 
the  cutting  northwest  wind.  Buffalo  robes  were 
the  onlj  means  for  making  it  at  all  bearable. 
Their  victuals  would  freeze  upon  their  plates  while 
eating.  It  could  not  be  otherwise.  Exposed  to 
the  pitiless  northwest  wind  sweeping  furiously 
over  these  vast  prairies  in  the  depth  of  winter  is  a 
serious  affair,  especially  when  clothing  is  insuffi 
cient  and  the  dwellings  poor.  Nevertheless,  all 
of  them  withstood  these  terrible  hardships,  and 
rejoiced  at  the  coming  of  spring.  Only  one  young 
man  fell  a  victim  to  his  own  daring  exploits. 
Some  of  them,  among  whom  were  the  two  Henles 
and  Zettel,  cut  the  lumber  for  the  building  of  their 
houses  with  their  own  hands. 

In  this  account  of  the  joys  and  sorrows  of  im 
migrants  from  Chicago  in  their  attempt  to  found 
a  city  in  the  primeval  forest,  on  the  virgin  soil  of 
Minnesota,  the  reader  will  find  the  A.  B.  C.  of  an 
accurate  account  of  the  winter's  life  of  many  a 
settler  under  similar  circumstances.  Let  it  be 
remarked  here  that,  according  to  the  testimony  of 
Athanasius  Henle,  he  performed  the  first  ministe 
rial  function  in  the  new  settlements,  although  he 
never  pretended  to  be  either  priest  or  preacher. 
La  Fromboise,  upon  learning  that  Henle  was  a 
Catholic,  asked  him  to  baptize  his  child,  something 
that  he  could  not  do  himself,  because  he  remem 
bered  only  a  portion  of  the  formula.  He  knew 


DAYS    OF    HOKROIi    ON    THE    FRONTIER.  33 

of  the  Father  and  the  Son,  but  he  had  forgotten 
the  Holy  Ghost. 

With  the  approach  of  spring  a  great  change 
came  over  the  little  company.  They  forgot  all 
they  had  endured  and  went  courageously  to  work. 
The  first  question  was  about  the  town-site.  The 
plan  for  the  city  was  made  before  they  left 
Chicago.  Some  of  the  settlers  had  entered  claims 
in  the  neighborhood  of  their  winter  quarters  and 
were  consequently  in  favor  of  retaining  the  place 
where  they  had  spent  the  winter.  The  place  was 
surveyed,  and  streets  were  cleared. 

The  opponents  were  divided  among  themselves. 
The  new  arrivals  from  Chicago  were  mostly  dis 
satisfied  with  the  site,  which  labored  under  many 
natural  disadvantages.  Others,  among  whom  was 
Ludwig  Meyer,  treasurer  of  the  society,  were  in 
favor  of  the  site  on  the  Cottonwood — a  place  the 
searching  for  and  finding  of  which  had  cost  them 
so  much  hardship  the  preceding  fall.  There  was 
consequently  much  said  on  all  sides  without  seri 
ously  disturbing  the  peace,  because  they  were 
after  all  obliged  to  refer  to  a  committee  at  Chi 
cago. 

It  has  already  been  said  that  they  were  in 
formed  that  a  colonization  society  from  St.  Louis 
had  selected  the  surroundings  of  the  lower  Indian 
village  for  a  town-site.  They  assured  themselves 
of  the  truth  of  the  matter  by  sending  one  of  their 
number  to  investigate.  He  found  the  names  of 
four  of  the  members  of  that  society  carved  into  an 


34  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;   OK 

oak,  and  also  the  ruins  of  a  shanty,  which  had 
been  destroyed  by  fire,  and  which  must  have  been 
built  during  the  winter.  He  also  understood  that 
an  Irishman  had  lived  there  during  the  winter  to 
guard  the  place,  and  had  probably  been  driven 
away  by  the  Indians. 

This  gentleman  was  L.  Meyer.  He  had  always 
been  in  favor  of  that  place,  and,  seeing  that  there 
was  great  danger  of  losing  it,  he  drove  stakes  into 
the  ground  and  put  placards  on  them  to  the  effect 
that  this  place  had  been  taken  possession  of  by  a 
Chicago  colonization  society.  This  action,  by 
which  they  had  secured  a  second  place  until  a 
decision  would  reach  them  from  Chicago,  created 
a  bitter  feeling  among  those  who  favored  the 
upper  site;  so  much  so,  that  they  threatened  to 
deprive  him  and  his  sons  of  their  claims. 

In  the  meantime  the  American  speculators 
learned  that  Germans  were  at  work  selecting  the 
best  places  in  Minnesota,  especially  in  Brown 
county,  for  town-sites;  that  a  number  of  them  had 
founded  two  cities  and  entered  claims,  and  that 
many  more  were  coming,  etc.  This  filled  them 
with  hatred  and  jealousy.  Fortunately  they  did 
not  know  how  ignorant  the  settlers  were  of  both 
law  and  land,  and  how  they  were  divided  among 
themselves  in  regard  to  a  town-site,  expecting  a 
decision  from  Chicago  where  nothing  was  known 
of  either  place.  If  some  smart  Yankee  had 
understood  the  condition  of  affairs  there  can  be 
but  little  doubt  that  he  would  have  become  the 


DAYS  OP  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.       35 

possessor  of  the  future  town-site  of  New  Ulm 
and  the  chief  director  of  its  destinies.  At  last  a 
letter  arrived  from  Chicago.  They  were  told  that 
a  number  of  members  and  some  officers  of  the 
society  would  arrive  during  the  month  of  April. 

On  the  16th  of  May,  1855,  the  first  members  of 
the  society  arrived.  A  surveyor,  Henry  Bulk,  ac 
companied  them,  who  replaced  the  one  who  had 
begun  to  survey  the  upper  place  without  regard 
to  the  Government  survey,  toward  the  end  of  the 
preceding  year.  That  trickster  had  to  be  sent 
back  to  Chicago  with  his  clothes-line  and  pocket 
compass  at  the  expense  of  the  society. 

A  new  organization  was  formed.  Kiessling  was 
elected  president,  and  Meierding  secretary.  The 
local  office  immediately  reported  in  full  to  the 
general  office  at  Chicago.  According  to  directions 
from  there,  the  surveyor  and  his  associates  began, 
to  the  great  satisfaction  of  the  majority,  to  survey 
the  site  so  that  the  extreme  southeast  end  of  the 
town  would  face  the  Cottonwood,  where  the  pros 
pectors  had  lodged  the  two  nights.  With  this 
they  started  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  lower  In 
dian  village  18  miles  from  Fort  Kidgely.  They 
intended  to  utilize  the  swift  current  of  the  winding 
Cottonwood  for  mills  or  factories.  They  extended 
the  survey  for  the  town,  however,  over  the  slowly 
rising  ridge  between  the  Minnesota  and  the  old 
survey.  The  center  of  the  city,  Center  street,  is 
16J  miles  southeast  of  Fort  Eidgely.  This  ended 
the  quarrel,  and  none  of  the  contending  parties 


36  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;   OR 

were,  strictly  speaking,  in  the  right.  The  sur 
roundings  of  the  upper  Indian  village  had  been 
selected  for  gardening  purposes,  and  the  lots 
placed  upon  a  high  ridge.  There  was  no  timber 
on  the  town-site  proper,  but  in  the  immediate 
vicinity;  and  it  also  appeared  to  them  that  they 
would  have  to  remove  timber,  if  such  were  there, 
before  they  could  build  a  town. 

"Whilst  surveying  they  came  upon  some  Indian 
women  who,  when  they  learned  what  was  being 
done,  became  enraged  and  struck  the  ground  with 
their  fists  to  indicate  that  that  land  belonged  to 
them.     The   surveyors   were   not   intimidated  by 
this  singular  proceeding   and   they  went  on.     At 
certain  places   they   set   up   the  customary  flags. 
But  when  the  bucks  returned  from  the  chase  they 
began  to  throw  down  the  flags,  and  by  unmistaka 
ble  signs  gave  the  whites  to  understand  that  they 
were   not   at   all   pleased   with  the   undertaking. 
But  when  the  settlers  rose  to  defend  themselves 
the   Indians   fled.      They   followed   them   to   the 
southern  bluffs,  where   the   Indians  made  a  halt. 
As  soon  as  the  whites  came  within  reach  of  their 
rifles,  the  bullets  began  to  whiz  about  their  heads, 
which  caused  them  to  turn  back  and  continue  their 
surveyings.     There  was  no  further  disturbance  of 
the  peace.     Only  an  ox  was  killed  by  the  Indians 
and  taken  away,  for  which  the  Government  paid 
the  settlers. 

These  things  being  reported  to  Fort  Bidgely, 
soldiers  were  sent  to  camp  in  the  neighborhood, 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.        37 

and  to  protect  the  settlers.  The  result  of  the 
negotiations  entered  into  by  means  of  an  inter 
preter  were  that  the  Indians  had  killed  and  taken 
the  ox  through  hunger,  and  not  through  malice, 
and  that  they  abandoned  the  place.  This  ended 
their  occupation  of  that  tract. 

And  thus  the  founding  of  New  Ulm  contains 
neither  the  fabulous  sayings  about  the  founding  of 
Carthage,  nor  the  prosaic  history  of  the  founding 
of  Rome;  but  it  is  an  earnest  episode,  worthy  of 
being  placed  on  record,  and  will  be  one  of  the 
most  interesting  pages  in  the  history  of  the  great 
State  of  Minnesota. 

The  place  occupied  at  that  time  is  the  present 
city  of  New  Ulm,  the  greater  part  of  which  was 
burnt  to  the  ground  by  the  Sioux  in  1862;  but  it 
has  risen  again,  Phoenix-like,  from  its  ashes. 

The  greater  portion  of  the  city  consists  of  addi 
tions  to  the  primitive  corporation,  taken  from 
private  claims,  which,  according  to  law,  did  not 
exceed  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres.  The  first 
houses  were  built  in  1855  by  Adam  Behnke,  A. 
Diderich,  Ludwig  Ensderle,Paul  Hitz,  L.  Meyer, 
H.  Meierding,  C.  Staus,  etc. 

The  first  settlers  were  mostly  Swabians,  and  in 
remembrance  of  the  old  and  venerable  city  of 
Ulm  they  named  their  town  "  New  Ulm." 


CHAPTER  III. 

The  Cincinnati  Society.— The  Turner  Colonization  Society. 
—Conditions  of  Purchase.— Scarcity  of  Provisions.— 
Umbrella  Roofs.—  A  Philosopher.— Prairie  Fire. — High 
Prices.— Abundance.— First  Hotel.— Cider.— First  Brew 
ery.— First  Saw-mill.— An  Unfortunate  Occurrence.— 
First  Flouring-mill.-No  Credit.— Turner  Hall  and  Tur 
ner  Society.— Churches,  Schools  and  Congregations.— 
Lodges  and  Societies.— Attractions.— Sour  Wine.— All 
Germany  Represented.—  Final  Success. 

HpHE  industrious  Germans  from  Chicago,  or 
1  rather  those  belonging'to  the  Chicago  society, 
did  not  enjoy  the  sole  ownership  of  the  new 
town  for  a  single  year.  In  the  fall  of  1855  the 
Turners  of  Cincinnati  sent  a  committee  of  three, 
(William  Pfaender,  later  on  Treasurer  of  Minne 
sota,  Seiger,  and  a  mineralogist),  in  search  of  a 
proper  place  for  a  German  colony.  They  reached 
the  young  city  of  New  Ulm,  and  were  so  pleased 
with  its  excellent  location  that  they  concluded  to 
enter  into  a  conditional  contract  with  the  owners 
for  a  great  portion  of  the  town. 

The  Chicago  settlers  had  almost  exhausted  their 
means,  and,  knowing  that  the  favorable  location 
of  their  town  would  be  without  benefit  to  them 
unless  they  would  give  others  a  chance  to  settle 
among  them,  the  offer  of  the  Cincinnati  gentle- 


DAYS    OF    ILORROR    ON    THE    FRONTIER.  39 

men  was  readily  accepted.  The  Chicago  society, 
consisting  of  some  two  hundred  members,  sold 
their  rights  under  the  following  conditions:  Each 
member  was  to  receive  thirty-three  dollars  in  cash, 
six  building  lots,  to  be  determined  by  chance,  and 
one  of  the  surveyed  four-acre  tracts  adjoining  the 
city. 

The  settlers  having  already  built  a  saw-mill,  the 
others  were  also  to  erect  a  mill  and  warehouse. 
The  offer  was  accepted,  and  during  that  same 
year  most  of  the  Cincinnati  emigrants — their  so 
ciety  had  thirteen  hundred  members — arrived  at 
their  new  home. 

This  new  addition  was  of  great  benefit  to  the 
colony;  but  also  of  some  disadvantage.  There 
were  immense  tracts  of  uncultivated  land  round 
about  the  town  from  which  no  means  of  support 
for  so  many  people  could  be  derived.  They  con 
sumed  a  large  amount  of  provisions.  It  was  with 
great  difficulty  that  they  could  bring  the  most 
necessary  things  from  St.  Paul,  a  distance  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty  miles  over  bad  roads.  The 
consequence  of  this  was  that  provisions  at  New 
Ulm  were  sometimes  extremely  high.  Many  had 
neither  money  nor  work  and  were  now  in  great 
need.  Corn-bread  was  the  only  means  of  support, 
and,  having  no  lard,  this  was  poorly  baked. 

It  is  related,  as  one  of  the  humors»of  the  time, 
that  several  men  who  were  chopping  wood  three 
miles  from  town — near  the  present  farm  of  Mr. 
Pfaender — suspended  a  bone  over  their  tempo- 


40  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;   OR 

rary   table,    and    brought  their    very    dry   corn- 
bread  in  contact  with  it  in  order  to  make  it  seem 
more  palatable.     These  same  men,  however,  grew 
corpulent  and  fat  in  later  years.     A  man  named 
Haeberle  was  obliged,  after  planting  some  pota 
toes,  to  dig  them  up  again  to  use  for  food.     Many 
of  the  pioneers  had  no  accommodations  whatever. 
The  expenses  of   the  journey  and  for  necessary 
provisions     had    deprived    them    of    what    little 
money  they  had.     Still  they  felt  proud  and  happy 
to  see  the  rays  of    the  sun  fall  in  through  their 
windovvless  windows  into  their  own  rooms.     Many 
a  house  had  no  roof,  or  only  a  part  of  one,  and  an 
umbrella  at  table  or  bed  was  at  times  considered 
a  great  blessing.     Great  privations,  even  of  the 
absolute  necessaries  of  life,  were  common.     But, 
of    course,    these   were   not   equally  felt   by  all. 
Among  the  many  new-comers  were  some  singular 
characters  who  could  always  find  means  to  help 
themselves.      To    this    class    belonged    one   Dr. 
Krause  of  Washington,  who  would  never  miss  an 
occasion  to  carry  his  absurd  views  into  practice. 
This  learned  reformer,  who  like  Socrates,  carried 
all  his  possessions  with  him  (that  is  to  say,  if  noth- 
ino-  adhered  to  him  in  going  out)  put  up  his  abode 
about  four  miles  from  town.      His  lodgings,   in 
the  erection  of  which  he  carried  out  his  peculiar 
views,  consisted   of  a   cave,  which   was   divided, 
either  for  the  sake  of   convenience   or  morality, 
into   three   compartments.      His     principle     was 
"Contentment  and  adaptation."    This  he  illus- 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.        41 

trated  by  his  own  life.  For  example:  he  planted 
potatoes  upon  a  piece  of  wild  prairie,  trusting  that 
they  would  adapt  themselves  to  circumstances  with 
out  further  effort  in  cultivating  them,  and  grow 
and  bear  a  hundredfold.  Of  his  harvest  nothing 
is  known.  A  thorough  materialist  he  was  also  a 
friend  of  liberty  in  its  wildest  forms.  Accordingly 
he  did  not  keep  a  cow,  but  never  was  out  of  milk. 
Later  on  he  was  shot  by  the  Indians. 

Very  few  could  accommodate  themselves  to 
circumstances  like  Dr.  Krause;  hence,  they  ex 
erted  themselves  to  keep  body  and  soul  together 
in  an  honorable  manner.  For  necessaries  of  life 
they  had  to  pay  enormous  prices.  A  barrel  of 
flour  was  sold  for  twenty-two  dollars.  The  first 
wheat  was  sown  in  the  spring  of  185S,  but  it  was 
partly  eaten  by  birds,  and  yielded  poorly.  They 
did  not  succeed  in  raising  wheat  till  1858.  The 
first  result  of  a  serious  attempt  at  wheat  raising, 
six  miles  northwest  of  New  Ulm,  is  worth  noticing. 
Three  farmers,  Athanasius  and  Anton  Henle  and 
Benedict  Drexler,  had  stacked  their  wheat  at  one 
place,  it  being  more  convenient  and  cheaper  in 
thrashing  it.  It  was  in  1858,  and  they  had  an 
excellent  crop.  A  prairie  fire  came  and  the  hopes 
of  the  enterprising  farmers  were  unmercifully 
swept  away.  On  account  of  this  fire,  by  which 
many  others  also  lost  their  grain,  prices  went  up 
again.  Potatoes  were  then  sold  at  three  dol 
lars  a  bushel,  and  a  hen  with  five  little  chickens 
were  sold  for  five  dollars.  Even  a  cat  brought 


42  THE  INDIANS'  KEVENGE;   OK 

five  dollars.  Mice  were,  however,  so  numerous 
that  some  enterprising  individuals  would  loan 
their  cats  to  others  for  a  certain  time,  for  which 
they  charged  two  dollars.  They  made  well  by 
it.  Instead  of  tobacco  they  smoked  leaves  and 
chewed  roots. 

During  the  first  years  money  was  not  very 
plenty,  nor  was  there  ever  a  great  scarcity;  new 
comers  always  brought  more  or  less  cash  with 
them.  This  was,  however,  soon  used  up.  There 
were  daily  expenses,  but  no  regular  sources  of 
income.  And  so  it  came  to  pass  that,  although 
provisions  were  on  hand,  they  could  not  be  sold — 
there  was  no  money  to  pay  for  them.  Martin 
Leiminer  of  the  Cottonwood  settlement  brought  a 
large  basket  filled  with  eggs  to  New  Ulm  in  order 
to  exchange  them  for  trifles  needed  at  home,  such 
as  thread,  buttons,  etc.  After  having  tried  in  vain 
to  make  the  desired  bargain,  he  commenced  to 
paint  H.  Bajen's  store  with  the  eggs.  A  few  hun 
gry  individuals  came  to  the  rescue  and  took  all 
that  was  left  in  the  basket  from  him.  He  was 
glad  to  have  escaped  the  hands  of  the  law  for  his 
singular  mode  of  painting  other  people's  stores. 

For  a  long  time  there  were  few  sources  of  enjoy 
ment  of  any  kind  in  the  town  of  New  Ulm.  In 
the  city  itself  Phillip  Gross,  now  an  alderman 
and  proprietor  of  the  Union  House,  built  the  first 
hotel  in  1856.  The  old  frame  building  was  de 
stroyed  by  fire  July  4,  1875,  and  during  the  same 
year  the  new  brick  hotel  was  erected  in  its  place. 


DAYS    OF   HOEKOB    ON   THE    FltONTlEK.  43 

Across  the  Minnesota,  near  the  landing  of  the 
ferry,  Mr.  Pfaff  erected  a  hotel  which  was  the 
first,  in  reality,  in  the  settlement.  Beer  and  wine 
were  scarce  at  that  time.  It  is  asserted  that  Mr. 
Gross  took  at  one  time  six  pounds  of  dried  apples, 
some  sour  wine  and  a  little  sugar  and  made  sev 
eral  barrels  of  excellent  cider,  which  paid  well. 

The  first  brewery  was  built  opposite  New  TJlm, 
across  the  river,  in  1858,  by  Kocke,  but  it  soon  went 
down.  Fritton's  brewery  was  soon  after  erected 
within  the  city,  and  in  1860  August  Schell  added 
his;  both  are  still  doing  business.  During  the 
time  that  beer  was  so  scarce,  Kahlfeld  received 
two  and  one-half  barrels  from  Milwaukee,  but 
refused  to  sell  any  for  fear  of  too  great  a  rush 
upon  him.  Then  came  one  of  those  fearful  west 
ern  cyclones  accompanied  by  thunder  and  light 
ning,  and  the  people  were  in  mortal  fear  that  the 
end  of  the  world  was  near.  In  that  case  the  beer 
would  be  lost,  and  so  a  band  of  carousers  hurried 
to  Kahlfeld's  to  drink  his  beer.  "With  it  went  an 
enormous  cheese,  and  they  sang  in  honor  of  the 
host,  who  was  a  Russian :  * '  Russia  must  still 
greater  be." 

Lautenschlager  had  just  finished  digging  a 
cellar  when  it  caved  in,  and  four  and  one-half 
barrels  of  beer  were  buried  in  it.  Four  years 
afterwards  they  were  dug  out  and  consumed. 

The  first  saw-mill  was  built  twelve  miles  above 
New  Ulm  on  the  Indian  reservation  in  1854-1855, 
but  it  never  worked  well.  The  Chicago  society 


44:  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;   OR 

built  another  saw-mill  at  New  (Jim  in  1856.  A  com 
pany  of  seventeen  owned  the  mill,  of  whom  the 
following  are  known :  Brust,  Jacob,  Hehfeld,  Blatz, 
Beinhorn,  Winkelmann,  Fisherbauer,  Klinkham- 
mer,  the  two  Huths,  Bock,  Meyer  and  Pfaff.  Reh- 
feld  and  Beinhorn  were  the  book-keepers.  The 
machinery  was  purchased  at  St.  Paul,  and  brought 
to  New  Ulm  with  twenty-five  horses.  Logs  were 
brought  in  from  all  sides.  Building  lumber  was 
sold  at  thirty-five  dollars  per  thousand  feet.  The 
timber  that  grows  there  is  of  an  inferior  quality. 
The  shareholders  had  not  only  no  returns,  but 
suffered  loss.  In  the  fall  of  1857  the  mill  was 
destroyed  by  fire,  which  probably  originated  above 
the  boiler.  It  was  not  insured.  One  Kaus  had  a 
claim  of  nine  hundred  dollars  on  it.  The  ruins 
were  sold  to  Beinhorn  and  Rehfeld,  who  rebuilt 
it,  every  one  giving  them  assistance.  The  mill 
was  again  set  on  fire  by  the  Indians  in  1862.  It 
was  rebuilt  a  third  time,  and  after  having  been  in 
the  hands  of  Boesh,  Pfenninger  and  Meyer,  is  now 
managed  by  Silverson,  and  is  known  as  the  "Eagle 
Mill."  Henry  Brandt  erected  a  small  grist-mill 
about  six  miles  from  New  Ulm. 

Corn-meal  and  coffee  were  the  principal  articles 
of  food  in  those  days. 

Mr.  Adam  was  very  unfortunate  in  his  attempt 
to  erect  a  mill  to  be  run  by  water  power  in  the 
year  1855,  one  and  a  half  miles  from  town.  The 
Cottonwood,  a  tributary  to  the  Minnesota,  is  quite 
deep  and  has  a  swift  current.  In  the  spring  of 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.       45 

the  year  the  water  rises  sometimes  very  high,  so 
that  the  strongest  dams  cannot  withstand  the  ter 
rible  pressure  of  the  immense  volume  of  water  and 
the  gigantic  blocks  of  ice  that  are  hurled  against 
it.  Adam  had  spent  a  whole  year  in  building  his 
dam,  and  had  all  the  lumber  for  the  building  of  a 
mill  on  the  grounds.  He  knew  nothing  about  the 
river,  and  his  dam  went  with  the  first  freshet. 
The  brothers  Henle  had  been  his  assistants.  The 
two  latter  were  shot  by  the  Indians.  In  the  spring 
of  1856  Adam  brought  the  machinery  from  Wiscon 
sin  with  five  teams,  bringing  also  some  provisions 
and  lime  at  the  same  time.  Among  the  teamsters 
were  Bernard  and  John  Sturm,  J.  Gebhardt  and 
Schaefer.  They  arrived  safe  on  the  other  side  of 
the  Cottonwood.  All  the  freight  was  safely  trans 
ported  across  the  river,  except  a  barrel  of  whisky, 
which  the  teamsters  had  partially  emptied  before 
they  got  to  the  ferry.  It  was  quite  late  in  the  day 
and  J.  Brust,  one  of  the  hands,  suggested  to  leave 
the  barrel  till  the  next  morning;  but  Adam  replied 
that  they  wanted  to  have  a  good  time  that  evening, 
and  consequently  were  sorely  in  need  of  the  barrel. 
The  boat  was  again  rowed  across  to  get  the  whisky. 
Brust,  Adam  and  Bauer,  returning  with  the  barrel, 
started  to  cross  the  river  with  this  last  article  of 
their  freight.  The  boat  unfortunately  capsized, 
and  poor  Adam  was  drowned.  His  wife  and 
children  witnessed  the  sad  spectacle  from  the 
bank  of  the  river.  His  body  was  found  about  half 
a  mile  below  where  the  accident  occurred.  He 


46  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;   OR 

had  nine  hundred  dollars  in  his  pockets.  At 
another  time  a  man  named  Hartmann  was  also 
drowned  in  the  same  place.  He  was  skating, 
broke  through  the  ice,  and  floating  down  was 
crushed  by  the  water-wheel. 

The  immigrants  from  Cincinnati,  generally 
called  the  Cincinnati  Company,  built  a  saw-mill 
and  a  flouring-mill  in  1857.  Each  share-holder 
was  to  pay  in  a  certain  amount;  but  since  many 
on  account  of  the  scarcity  of  money  could  not 
keep  their  promises,  a  great  deal  of  trouble  arose, 
which  led  to  serious  disturbances.  They  had 
placed  their  affairs  in  the  hands  of  Schell  and 
Schultz.  Later  on  the  mill  was  rented  to  G-ebser 
and  Schwertfeger,  but  it  was  set  on  fire  by  the 
Indians  in  1862.  It  was  rebuilt  by  Belm,  Fisher 
and  Sherer,  and  again  destroyed  by  fire  in  1873. 
After  that  it  was  not  rebuilt,  Belm  associating 
himself  with  another  company  who  erected  upon 
.another  site  the  present  "  New  Ulm  City  Mills." 

It  has  been  said  that  very  little  wheat  was  raised 
at  that  time,  the  same  yielding  very  poorly  at  first. 
The  business  of  the  two  mills  was  consequently 
rather  poor.  Corn,  rye  and  buckwheat  were 
principally  brought  to  the  mills,  and  but  very 
little  wheat.  The  employes  received  only  from 
three  to  six  pounds  of  flour  a  week.  The  quantity 
of  flour  to  be  divided  among  them  was  at  one 
time  one  hundred  and  twenty  pounds,  but  there 
were  sixty  bags  open  to  receive  it.  Things  neces 
sary  for  the  running  of  the  mills  were  difficult  to 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.        47 

obtain.  A.  Schell,  the  present  owner  of  a  brew 
ery,  at  that  time  the  engineer  at  the  mill,  was  at 
one  time  sent  to  a  store  to  get  some  oil,  but  could 
not  get  any  for  the  Cincinnati  mill.  The  Chicago 
mill  did  not  fare  much  better.  It  had  also  been 
changed  into  a  flouring  mill.  Mr.  Pfenninger 
once  tried  in  vain  to  obtain  some  leather  to  repair 
a  belt. 

In  the  year  1858  the  Turners  began  to  erect 
their  hall,  which  was  also  to  serve  the  community 
as  a  place  for  entertainments  and  meetings. 
Everybody,  without  regard  to  religious  affiliations, 
took  part  in  this  building.  Shares  were  sold  in 
order  to  obtain  the  necessary  funds,  and  Sundays 
as  well  as  week-days  the  work  went  on.  But  for 
a  long  time  harmony  did  not  reign  supreme  among 
the  citizens.  So-called  church  people  were  han 
dled  rather  roughly.  Many  a  zealous  free-thinker 
exerted  himself  too  much,  and  the  leading  news 
paper,  "New  Ulm  Pioneer,"  edited  by  Naegele 
and  G-erstenhauer,  had  a  great  deal  to  say.  Im 
bued  with  their  socialistic  views,  they  entertained 
the  false  idea  that  religious  congregations  in  a  free 
city  were  detrimental  to  the  public  welfare,  and  a 
prolific  source  of  dissensions  among  the  people. 
The  columns  of  the  *'  New  Ulm  Pioneer"  of  that 
time,  setting  forth  the  social  and  religious  con 
dition  of  affairs,  contain  many  items  of  great 
interest  to  the  historian.  This  misconception  of 
the  idea  of  freedom  brought  great  discredit  upon 
the  city  of  New  Ulm,  especially  among  religious 


48  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;   OR 

people.  The  same  feelings  were  entertained 
toward  all  who  were  not  Germans,  especially 
toward  those  whom  they  called  "  Americans." 
This  was  a  great  financial  drawback  to  the  town. 
Of  course  the  Turners  were  made  responsible  for 
it  all. 

The  "  New  Ulm  Turner  Society  "  was  established 
at  Seiter  &  Kocke's  store,  two  miles  northwest  of 
New  Ulm,  on  Kauss',  now  Pfaender's,  farm.  This 
store  is,  however,  not  to  be  compared  to  one  on 
Lake  street,  Chicago,  or  on  Broadway,  New  York. 
It  was  a  simple  log  house,  almost  without  a  roof; 
and  more  than  a  dozen  umbrellas  were  regularly 
made  use  of  on  a  rainy  day  in  order  to  protect 
the  little  stock  of  goods  against  the  destructive 
element. 

The  Turners'  first  hall  was  set  on  fire  by  the 
Indians  in  1862.  The  Government  reimbursed 
the  society,  and  they  built  a  large  hall  of  brick. 
The  "New  Ulm  Land  Company "  was  dissolved, 
and  its  assets  handed  over  to  the  society,  which 
enabled  it  to  add  a  large  wing  to  the  hall  in 
1872.  This  wing  is  at  present  used  for  social 
gatherings  and  a  saloon.  The  structure  is  now, 
with  the  exception  of  the  new  Catholic  church, 
the  largest  in  the  city  of  New  Ulm. 

The  first  church  established  at  New  Ulm  was  the 
Methodist.  Just  prior  to  the  Indian  outbreak  in 
1862  the  first  two  churches,  belonging  to  the 
Methodists  and  Catholics,  respectively,  were  built 
of  wood.  The  Catholic  church  was  not  yet  com- 


DATS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.       49 

pleted  when  both  of  them  were  set  on  fire  by  the 
Indians.  The  members  of  the  different  churches 
had  several  years  before  that  time  tried  to  unite 
for  the  purpose  of  building  a  church  for  the  use  of 
all  denominations.  The  material  was  already  on 
hand  when  the  undertaking  was  dropped.  The 
Catholics  and  Lutherans  have  now  fine  churches 
of  brick.  All  the  denominations  have  built  rec 
tories  and  have  their  resident  pastors.  Catho 
lics  number  500  families,  Lutherans  120,  Method 
ists  25,  and  the  Congregationalists  16.  The 
Catholic  congregation,  organized  by  Rev.  Alexan 
der  Berghold  on  the  10th  day  of  January,  1869, 
have  a  splendid  school  house  and  an  academy, 
which  is  successfully  conducted  by  Sisters  of 
Charity  who  were  expelled  from  Germany  under 
Bismarck.  The  Masons  erected  a  Lodge  in  1873, 
and  in  1874  the  Odd  Fellows  did  the  same. 
There  is  a  Lodge  of  the  United  Order  of  Workmen 
with  a  large  membership,  and  also  a  Lodge  of  the 
Sons  of  Herrmann,  in  this  prosperous  little  city. 
The  Lutherans  have  recently  built  a  fine,  large 
college  in  a  beautifully  situated  plot  outside  of 
New  Ulm,  and  a  building  for  a  Reformed  Church 
is  now  in  progress. 

The  St.  Alexander's  Hospital,  founded  by  the 
author  of  this  book  in  1884,  is  now  under  the 
charge  of  experienced  Sisters  from  Fort  Wayne, 
111.,  who  are  untiring  in  their  ministrations  to  the 
sick  and  poor  of  this  locality.  The  building  is  a 
3 


50  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;  OB 

fine  one,  and  the  grounds  are  ample,  with  a  stream 
of  pure  spring  water  running  through  them  all  the 
year.  The  patients  are  well  cared  for,  and  the 
charges  remarkable  for  their  moderation. 

Notwithstanding  the  many  difficulties  and  priva 
tions  with  which  the  settlers  had  to  contend  dur 
ing  the  first  years,  their  number  is  continually  on 
the  increase,  in  town  as  well  as  in  the  country. 
Those  among  the  German  immigrants  who, 
although  in  a  strange  land,  desired  to  live  like 
Germans  in  Germany,  and  speak  their  mother- 
tongue  and  preserve  their  old  customs  and  habits, 
were  especially  attracted  to  this  thoroughly  Ger 
man  settlement,  where  they  could  feel  at  home. 
The  beauties  of  that  country,  the  fertility  of  the 
soil,  the  attraction  of  its  prairies,  its  sparkling 
brooks,  its  charming  lakes  filled  with  fish  and 
surrounded  by  all  manner  of  trees  and  shrubbery, 
these  were  everywhere  and  eloquently  set  forth. 
Nor  could  they  be  easily  exaggerated,  for  the 
grandeur  and  beauty  of  the  country  are  all  that  is 
claimed  for  it. 

Many  a  German  has  had  cause  for  regret  that 
circumstances  prevented  him  from  going  to  the 
Dorado  of  New  Ulm,  where  the  wild  grapevines, 
a  hundred  feet  in  height,  climb  the  primeval  forest 
trees,  and  in  the  springtime  fill  the  air  with  sweet 
fragrance;  in  the  fall  they  offer  refreshment  to  the 
weary  traveler.  While  it  is  a  melancholy  fact  that 
the  beautiful  red  juice  is  unbearably  sour,  yet  it  is 
considered  a  fine  drink  among  the  farmers.  Hard 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.  51 

times,  caused  by  the  panic  of  1857,  drove  many 
out  of  the  large  cities  who  were  anxious  to  pro 
cure  a  home  of  their  own;  and  to  such  New  Ulm 
and  its  surroundings  were  very  inviting.  They 
came,  the  German  sons  and  daughters,  from  the 
shores  of  the  North  Sea  to  the  Adriatic,  from 
Lorraine  to  the  Neva;  from  all  the  countries  and 
provinces  of  Germany  did  they  pour  in.  Emper 
ors,  kings  and  princes,  with  the  heavily-burdened 
homes  in  the  old  country,  had  no  such  attractions 
to  offer  as  the  country  around  the  Minnesota 
beyond  the  Mississippi.  There  is  hardly  a  settle 
ment  of  Germans  to  be  found  where  the  different 
dialects  are  so  well  represented  as  in  New  Ulm. 
No  wonder,  then,  that  German  farmers  were  so 
numerous  after  a  few  years.  The  best  places 
were  always  looked  for,  and  many  less  inviting 
tracts  of  land  were  passed  by,  which  fact  accounts 
for  the  population  being  so  scattered  through  the 
country.  Another  reason  for  this  may  be  found 
in  the  search  for  rivers,  lakes  and  forests.  If  one 
of  these  charming  places  could  be  found  unoccu 
pied,  many  would  go  several  days'  journey  beyond 
New  Ulm  to  get  it.  And  thus  did  this  country 
and  its  courageous  and  progressive  inhabitants 
advance  steadily  and  rapidly  towards  a  great  and 
prosperous  future.  The  year  1862  gave  great 
promise  by  its  good  crops  to  fill  the  struggling 
settlers  with  new  courage  and  carry  them  safely 
through  all  their  difficulties  and  trials.  But  alas! 
the  hand  that  guides  the  destinies  of  men  had 


54  THE   INDIANS1   KEVENGE;    OR 

dress  like  the  whites,  and  they  were  formerly  sup 
plied  by  the  Government  with  farming  imple 
ments,  horses,  cattle,  etc.  They  are  very  proud 
of  the  dress  of  the  whites,  which,  in  their  case, 
often  consists  merely  of  a  high  hat  and  a  shirt. 
They  are  generally  despised,  however,  by  the  real 
Indians  who  treat  every  kind  of  head-dress  with 
contempt  except  their  own  peculiar  one,  and 
whose  only  covering  consists  of  a  woolen  blanket 
or  a  buffalo-robe;  and  they  live  in  tents  or  tepees. 
These  prefer  to  dress  gayly,  cover  themselves  with 
all  manner  of  trumpery,  and  fold  the  skin  of  an 
animal  around  their  body  so  as  to  look  as  much 
as  possible  like  the  animal  itself.  In  summer 
they  appear  mostly  in  Adam's  costume,  with  the 
addition  of  a  gun  and  a  pipe. 

Their  arms  are  bows  and  arrows,  guns,  knives, 
and  a  sort  of  hatchet  called  a  tomahawk.  Their 
necessaries  of  life  are  very  few  and  simple.  They 
never  wash  their  meat,  and  seem  to  have  a  dislike 
for  all  water  except  fire-water  (whisky).  Still 
they  admire  a  clean  white  shirt  very  much.  A 
kettle,  a  few  pots  and  the  skins  of  animals  com 
pose  all  their  furniture,  and  they  eat  their  food, 
especially  meat,  half  raw,  and  devour  even  the 
entrails  raw.  Their  appetite  is  prodigious.  When 
ever  they  obtain  anything  palatable  they  eat  and 
eat  without  regard  to  their  real  needs  or  the  com 
ing  day.  Hence  it  not  unfrequently  happens  that 
they  are  compelled  to  fast  for  days  at  a  time. 
They  are  not  much  troubled  with  any  disease 


DATS  OP  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.       56 

except  the  small-pox,  and  their  medicine-men 
have  in  vain  tried  by  all  manner  of  sorceries  and 
strange  exorcisms  to  banish  that  dreadful  visitor. 
A  cripple,  lame  or  deaf  and  dumb,  is  seldom  found. 
They  love  their  ponies,  and  keep  a  large  number, 
if  at  all  possible.  But  during  the  winter  they  lose 
a  good  many,  because  in  their  improvidence  they 
do  not  save  any  hay,  and  having  no  barns  or  shel 
ter  for  them,  the  poor  creatures  perish  from  cold 
and  starvation.  They  believe  in  a  Great  Spirit, 
Manitu,  think  a  great  deal  of  ceremonies  over  their 
dead,  but  hang  them  up  on  posts  exposed  to  the  sun 
until  they  are  dried  up.  Their  romantic  life,  their 
fidelity,  their  friendship  and  strength  of  character, 
which  some  writers  tell  us  about,  is  very  pleasant 
sentimental  reading — that  is  all.  The  Indian  is 
always  serious,  seldom  laughs  or  jokes,  and  is  an 
uncomfortable  and  mistrustful  companion.  He 
understands  begging  above  all  things.  He  never 
forgets  an  offence,  but  is  very  apt  to  forget  acts 
of  kindness,  for  which  the  year  1862  furnishes 
ample  proof.  With  the  Indians  revenge  is  a  virtue, 
and  they  practice  polygamy.  Their  hospitality, 
however,  is  worthy  of  all  praise.  The  stranger 
receives  the  best  pelt  for  his  bed,  and  the  host 
keeps  up  a  warm  fire  with  his  own  hands  if  the 
pale-face  happens  to  remain  in  his  tent  over  night 
during  winter. 

If  you  never  have  had  an  opportunity  to  see  an 
Indian,  you  may  look  at  a  gipsy;  there  is  a  great 
similarity  between  them.  Many  of  them  show  real 


56  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;  OB 

artistic  taste  in  the  making  of  trinkets.  They  are 
skillful  in  the  use  of  arms,  keen  in  the  chase  and 
relentless  in  pursuing  an  enemy;  they  love  noisy 
musical  instruments  and  the  dance  after  their  own 
fashion.  Their  natural  senses  are  sharp  and  more 
fully  developed  than  those  of  the  whites.  They 
are  cruel  in  war,  and  prefer  deceit  and  strategem 
to  an  open  battle.  After  a  fight  they  scalp  their 
dead  enemies  before  they  think  of  carrying  off 
their  booty;  for  they  take  great  pride  in  possess 
ing  a  large  number  of  scalps,  because  they  indi 
cate  the  number  of  enemies  they  have  slain. 
They  ornament  their  heads  with  feathers,  which 
they  consider  "wakan"  (holy).  They  can  endure 
more  hardship  than  the  whites,  and  are  wonder 
ful  runners,  many  of  them  being  able  to  overtake 
a  swift  horse.  In  hiding  their  feelings  and  in  self- 
control  they  can  do  wonders.  They  suffer  pain 
with  stolid  indifference,  and  their  wounds  heal 
quickly.  To  leave  one  of  their  dead  in  the  hands 
of  the  enemy  is  looked  upon  as  a  foreboding  evil 
and  the  greatest  ignominy  that  could  happen  to 
them. 


CHAPTER  V. 


Cause  of  the  Outbreak. — Nativism.— Indians  the  real 
Natives. — Land  Purchase  from  the  Indians. — Present 
War  in  Dakota  Territory. — Indian  Treaties. — Treaty  of 
Washington,  1837.— Treaty  of  Traverse  des  Sioux,  1851. 
— Treaty  of  1858.  —Indians  cheated  out  of  their  Money. 
— Tag-ma-na  and  Mahpya  Wicasta. — Indian  Traders. — 
Alexander  Ramsey  and  Hugh  Tyler.— A  Gigantic  Swin 
dle.— How  the  Indians  are  civilized.— Uncle  Sam  pays, 
and  Deceivers  take  the  Money. — A  deceiving  Delivery  of 
Rations. — Cheating  everywhere. — Houses  built  for  the 
Indians,  but  they  never  occupy  them. — An  Indian 
Teacher.— Pious  Missionaries.  —  Procurers  and  Half- 
breeds. 

THE  history  of  the  Indians  in  general,  from 
the  days  of  Cortez  to  our  own,  is  the  story 
of  a  continual  defeat  of  physical  power  battling 
against  superior  wisdom,  and  in  which  the  shrewd 
whites  mostly  followed  the  principle  of  a  cruel 
Brennus,  that  justice  is  at  the  point  of  the  sword. 
It  is  evident  that  the  red  man  is  the  original  owner 
of  America,  and  that  he  alone  can  be  justly  called 
American.  How  ridiculous  is  it,  therefore,  for 
those  of  the  whites  whose  forefathers  or  parents 
immigrated  to  America  some  years  ago  to  be  so 
extremely  proud  of  their  nationality  as  Americans 
and  look  upon  the  new-comer  with  contempt  ! 


58  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;   OR 

How  absurd  is  that  spirit  of  nativism  that  would 
treat  the  immigrant  as  a  stranger  or  foreigner  and 
deprive  him  of  his  rights  !  Poor  American  Anglo- 
Saxon  race !  dost  thou  not  remember  that  thy  an 
cestors  were  intimately  related  to  the  forefathers 
of  the  "Dutchmen"?  Thou  hast  not  even  a 
mother-tongue,  if  in  thy  pride  as  an  American 
thou  deniest  thy  English  nationality.  If  thou 
wert  a  real  American,  thou  wouldst  speak  the 
Indian  and  not  the  English  language.  Thou 
wouldst  deny  that  thou  art  a  Galilean;  "but  thy 
speech  doth  certainly  betray  thee."  And,  haply, 
what  thou  art  in  this  country  of  thy  adoption 
every  immigrant  can  be  made  in  a  short  time,  if  he 
declares  his  intention  to  become  an  American 
citizen.  And  the  immigrant  has,  moreover,  the 
pleasure  of  speaking  his  own  mother-tongue. 

"But,"  it  is  said,  "the  land  belongs  to  the 
whites."  Of  course,  it  does;  but  it  was  mostly 
wrongfully  seized.  Although  the  different  Indian 
tribes  were  frequently  obliged  to  relinquish  large 
tracts  of  land  to  the  whites  under  treaties,  this 
was  a  result  of  the  white  man's  shrewdness.  It 
was  a  battle  between  superior  wisdom  and  natural 
simplicity.  The  Indians  consented  to  a  treaty, 
because  they  were  obliged  to,  and  the  whites 
made  use  of  the  treaty  to  force  from  them  new  con 
cessions.  Yes,  and  if  personal  interests  could  be 
advanced  thereby,  they  would  not  keep  their 
promises  at  all.  This  was  frequently  the  cause  of 


DAYS  OP  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.        59 

an  outbreak,  because  the  Indians  had  no  other 
means  of  defending  their  rights. 

In  regard  to  the  recent  troubles  in  and  around 
the  Black  Hills  in  Dakota,  where  the  Indians  had 
gone  on  the  war-path  and  three  Generals  ordered 
out,  a  St.  Louis  paper  says:  "  And  as  soon  as 
these  three  powerful  armies  have  completely  sur 
rounded  the  few  hundred  Sioux,  every  red  man — 
women  and  children  are  not  expressly  included — 
is  to  be  unmercifully  cut  down.  Why  have  these 
'  rogues '  rebelled  against  the  gold-hunters  who 
only  tried  to  '  annex '  a  territory  which  had  been 
granted  to  the  Indians  only  by  treaty  ? 

"  Meanwhile  we  beg  to  say,  that,  according  to 
official  dispatches,  the  fears  entertained  that  the 
Sioux  might  attack  Fort  Lincoln  is  a  mere  canard. 
The  United  States  are  not  attacked  by  the  Indians, 
but  the  Indians  are  attacked  by  the  United  States 
army." 

One  of  the  most  important  treaties  was  that  of 
1837,  made  at  Washington  between  J.  Poinsett 
and  the  chief  of  the  Medawakonton  tribe,  whereby 
all  lands  east  of  the  Mississippi,  in  as  far  as  they 
were  in  the  possession  of  the  Indians,  were  ceded 
to  the  United  States,  in  consideration  of  an  annual 
payment  in  cash.  By  this  treaty  the  whole  of  the 
State  of  Wisconsin  and  that  part  of  Minnesota 
lying  east  of  the  Missisippi  were  opened  to  set 
tlers,  who  soon  came  in  large  numbers.  The  ter 
ritory  west  of  the  Mississippi,  still  in  the  hands  of 
the  different  tribes  of  the  Sioux,  was  so  attractive 


60  THE  INDIANS'  BEVENGE;  OK 

to  the  white  settler  that  it  was  difficult  to  prevent 
him  from  taking  possession  of  it,  in  spite  of  the 
treaties.     Accordingly  the  Government  purchased 
by  the  treaty  ,of  Traverse  des  Sioux,  made  July  23, 
1851,  between  Lee  and  Eamsey,  all  lands  in  Iowa 
and   Minnesota.      The   purchased   territory   con 
tained   over  thirty  million  acres  of  mostly  fertile 
land.     This   treaty,  however,  included   only  the 
lands  belonging  to  the  Wahpeton  and   Sisseton 
tribes;   those    belonging    to    the   Medawakonton 
and  Wahpekuta  tribes  were  likewise  purchased  by 
the  Government  on  the  5th  of  August  of  the  same 
year.     All  four  tribes  belong  to  the  Sioux  or  Da 
kota  nation.     Most  of  the  lands  in  the  present 
State  of  Minnesota  were  thereby  opened  to   set 
tlers.      The   Indians    kept    a   Reservation.     The 
Wahpetons   and     Sissetons   received   a   tract   on 
the  upper   Minnesota,  beginning  with  the  Hawk, 
north  of  the  Minnesota  and  Yellow  Medicine  rivers, 
and  south  of  the  Minnesota  up  to  Big  Stone  Lake 
and  Lake  Traverse,  in  all  about  twenty  miles  wide 
by  a  hundred  miles  long.     The  Medawakontons 
and  Wahpekutas  received  a  strip  of  land  on  both 
banks  of  the  Minnesota  below  the  first  Reservation, 
twenty  miles  wide  and  fifty  miles   long,  coming 
within  ten  miles  of  New  Ulm.   These  Reservations 
remained  in  the  hands  of  the  respective  tribes.    On 
account  of  the  tract  belonging  to  the  latter  tribes 
being  located  below  that  belonging  to  the  former, 
it  was  generally  called  Lower  Reservation  and  the 
other  Upper  Reservation.     The  Indians  were  also 


DAYS   OF   HORROR    ON   THE   FRONTIER.  61 

known  as  the  Upper  Indians  and  the  Lower  In 
dians. 

In  1858  the  Government  purchased  that  portion 
of  the  Reservation  lying  north  of  the  Minnesota,  so 
that  the  Indians  retained  only  a  strip  of  land  ten 
miles  wide  and  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  long. 
For  the  portion  thus  ceded,  costing  the  Govern 
ment  about  a  cent  an  acre,  two  hundred  and 
seventy-five  thousand  dollars  were  to  be  paid  an 
nually  to  the  chiefs  of  the  Sissetons  and  "Wahpe- 
tons,  and  also  thirty  thousand  dollars  for  the 
education  of  these  tribes.  The  Medawakontons 
and  Wahpekutas  were  also  to  receive  two  hundred 
thousand  dollars  annually,  payable  to  their  chiefs, 
and  thirty  thousand  dollars  for  their  education, 
Government  promising  the  Indians  at  the  time  to 
do  all  in  its  power  for  their  education,  elevation 
and  civilization.  The  whole  sum  to  be  paid  an 
nually  for  fifty  years  was,  therefore,  about  five 
hundred  and  fifty-five  thousand  dollars. 

This  honest  debt,  contracted  by  the  Government, 
was,  with  the  exception  of  an  insignificant  portion 
of  it,  never  paid;  and  this  was  the  principal  cause 
of  the  dissatisfaction  and  revolt  of  the  Indians. 
The  Government  did,  indeed,  pay  the  stipulated 
sum  regularly,  but  the  superintendents,  agents, 
etc.,  to  whom  the  money  was  entrusted  for  distri 
bution  and  payment,  managed  to  keep  the  greater 
portion  of  it  for  themselves. 

The  following  extracts  which,  alas!  contain 
neither  slander  nor  exaggeration,  nor  misrepre- 


62  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;   OB 

sentation  of  real  facts,  will  give  the  reader  an  idea 
of  how  the  Indians  were  treated.  The  author  of 
this  work,  if  it  were  not  for  the  sake  of  historical 
facts,  would  rather  have  many  things  unnoticed 
which  were  admitted  only  upon  the  unimpeach 
able  testimony  of  those  who  were  for  years  eye 
witnesses  of  the  treatment  the  Indians  received  at 
the  hands  of  Government  employes.  Moreover, 
the  official  reports  of  investigations  made,  al 
though  very  partial,  contain  enough  to  make  every 
honest  man  blush. 

A  prominent  officer,  Major  Kitzing  Pritchette, 
being  sent  from  Washington  to  investigate  the 
numerous  complaints  of  gigantic  swindles  raised 
by  the  Indians,  in  his  official  report  says: 

"  The  complaints  which  are  made  at  all  their 
meetings  refer  to  the  imperfect  fulfillment  or  non- 
compliance  with  the  conditions  of  the  treaty. " 

Tag-ma-na,  a  chief  of  the  assembled  Indians, 
said  in  his  presence: 

"  The  Indians  sold  their  land  in  Traverse  des 
Sioux.  I  say  what  they  tell  us.  For  fifty  years 
we  were  to  receive  fifty  thousand  dollars  annually, 
and  we  were  promised  three  hundred  thousand 
dollars.  We  have  seen  nothing  of  it." 

At  the  same  meeting,  Mahpya  Wicasta  (Man-of 
the-Cloud),  the  second  chief  of  the  assembled 
Indians,  said: 

"  In  the  treaty  of  Traverse  des  Sioux  we  were 
to  receive  two  hundred  and  seventy-five  thousand 
dollars  as  soon  as  we  had  entered  upon  the  land 


DATS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.        63 

pointed  out  to  us  by  the  Government.  Tell  us 
what  was  done  with  it?  Every  pale-face  knows 
that  we  are  for  the  past  five  years  on  the  territory 
named  in  the  treaty,  and  as  yet  we  have  received 
none  of  the  money/' 

A  principal  cause  of  these  enormous  swindles 
was  the  so-called  traders,  who  were  consequently 
also  the  cause  of  the  dissatisfaction  of  the  Indians. 
These  traders  are  merchants  licensed  by  the  Gov 
ernment  to  sell  goods  to  the  Indians,  or  to  trade 
with  them.  Since,  as  a  rule,  the  Indians  had  no 
money  to  pay  for  the  goods  they  bought,  the 
trader  would  bring  his  bills  to  the  paymaster  at 
the  time  payment  was  to  be  made  to  the  Indians, 
if  such  time  ever  came,  and  the  Indians  being 
neither  able  to  read  nor  write,  these  bills  were 
shamefully  and  unmercifully  enlarged.  The  sums 
thus  deducted  from  the  amounts  due  the  Indians 
was  a  transaction  as  cruel  as  it  was  unjust,  but 
the  poor  red  man  was  helpless.  His  complaint 
could  be  lodged  only  through  an  interpreter, 
who,  although  under  oath,  managed  through  the 
powerful  influence  of  traders  and  other  employes 
to  conceal  the  truth  as  much  as  possible.  Others, 
though  commanding  both  languages,  were  not  lis 
tened  to  by  the  agent.  The  Indians  were  often  so 
much  cheated  that  they  had  as  little  after  a  pay 
ment,  which  would  amount  to  hundreds  of  thou 
sands  of  dollars,  as  they  had  before. 

Judge  Young,  sent  from  Washington  to  investi 
gate  the  complaints  against  Alexander  Ramsey,  at 


62  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;   OB 

sentation  of  real  facts,  "will  give  the  reader  an  idea 
of  how  the  Indians  were  treated.  The  author  of 
this  work,  if  it  were  not  for  the  sake  of  historical 
facts,  would  rather  have  many  things  unnoticed 
which  were  admitted  only  upon  the  unimpeach 
able  testimony  of  those  who  were  for  years  eye 
witnesses  of  the  treatment  the  Indians  received  at 
the  hands  of  Government  employes.  Moreover, 
the  official  reports  of  investigations  made,  al 
though  very  partial,  contain  enough  to  make  every 
honest  man  blush. 

A  prominent  officer,  Major  Kitzing  Pritchette, 
being  sent  from  Washington  to  investigate  the 
numerous  complaints  of  gigantic  swindles  raised 
by  the  Indians,  in  his  official  report  says: 

"  The  complaints  which  are  made  at  all  their 
meetings  refer  to  the  imperfect  fulfillment  or  non- 
compliance  with  the  conditions  of  the  treaty. " 

Tag-ma-na,  a  chief  of  the  assembled  Indians, 
said  in  his  presence: 

"The  Indians  sold  their  land  in  Traverse  des 
Sioux.  I  say  what  they  tell  us.  For  fifty  years 
we  were  to  receive  fifty  thousand  dollars  annually, 
and  we  were  promised  three  hundred  thousand 
dollars.  We  have  seen  nothing  of  it." 

At  the  same  meeting,  Mahpya  Wicasta  (Man-of 
the-Cloud),  the  second  chief  of  the  assembled 
Indians,  said: 

"  In  the  treaty  of  Traverse  des  Sioux  we  were 
to  receive  two  hundred  and  seventy-five  thousand 
dollars  as  soon  as  we  had  entered  upon  the  land 


DATS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.        63 

pointed  out  to  us  by  the  Government.  Tell  us 
what  was  done  with  it?  Every  pale-face  knows 
that  we  are  for  the  past  five  years  on  the  territory 
named  in  the  treaty,  and  as  yet  we  have  received 
none  of  the  money." 

A  principal  cause  of  these  enormous  swindles 
was  the  so-called  traders,  who  were  consequently 
also  the  cause  of  the  dissatisfaction  of  the  Indians. 
These  traders  are  merchants  licensed  by  the  Gov 
ernment  to  sell  goods  to  the  Indians,  or  to  trade 
with  them.  Since,  as  a  rule,  the  Indians  had  no 
money  to  pay  for  the  goods  they  bought,  the 
trader  would  bring  his  bills  to  the  paymaster  at 
the  time  payment  was  to  be  made  to  the  Indians, 
if  such  time  ever  came,  and  the  Indians  being 
neither  able  to  read  nor  write,  these  bills  were 
shamefully  and  unmercifully  enlarged.  The  sums 
thus  deducted  from  the  amounts  due  the  Indians 
was  a  transaction  as  cruel  as  it  was  unjust,  but 
the  poor  red  man  was  helpless.  His  complaint 
could  be  lodged  only  through  an  interpreter, 
who,  although  under  oath,  managed  through  the 
powerful  influence  of  traders  and  other  employes 
to  conceal  the  truth  as  much  as  possible.  Others, 
though  commanding  both  languages,  were  not  lis 
tened  to  by  the  agent.  The  Indians  were  often  so 
much  cheated  that  they  had  as  little  after  a  pay 
ment,  which  would  amount  to  hundreds  of  thou 
sands  of  dollars,  as  they  had  before. 

Judge  Young,  sent  from  Washington  to  investi 
gate  the  complaints  against  Alexander  Ramsey,  at 


64  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;   OB 

that  time  Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs,  and 
later  Governor  of  Minnesota,  says  in  his  report: 

"Alexander  Karnsey  was  principally  accused  of 
having,  in  spite  of  the  protests  of  the  Indians,  in 
violation  of  the  laws  of  the  treaties,  and  in  utter 
disregard  of  the  solemn  promises  upon  the  part 
of  the  Government,  paid  the  greater  portion  of 
the  money  to  a  man  named  Hugh  Tyler  for  pay 
ment  or  distribution  among  the  Indians  or  half- 
breeds.  According  to  the  treaties  the  money  was 
to  be  paid  to  the  chiefs." 

And  thus  of  the  two  hundred  and  seventy-five 
thousand  dollars  which  should  have  been  paid  to 
the  Indians,  according  to  Article  IV  of  the  treaty 
of  Traverse  des  Sioux,  Ramsey  gave  two  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand  to  Hugh  Tyler  under  the  pre 
text  that  the  money  belonged  to  traders  and  half- 
breeds.  Mr.  Tyler  also  received  seventy  thousand 
of  the  one  hundred  and  ten  thousand  dollars, 
which,  according  to  the  treaty  of  August  5th,  1851, 
should  have  been  paid  to  the  Medawakontons. 
Altogether,  of  the  three  hundred  and  eighty-five 
thousand  dollars  belonging  to  the  Indians,  Tyler 
received  three  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  as  a 
recompense  for  his  labors  in  the  Senate  in  behalf 
of  the  treaties,  and  also  to  reimburse  him  for  his 
expenses  in  securing  the  consent  of  the  chiefs. 
Such  were  his  claims. 

During  the  year  1857  a  number  of  Indians  were 
induced  by  a  trader  to  sign  a  paper,  the  object  of 
which,  he  said,  was  to  cause  a  portion  of  the 


DATS   OF   HORROR   ON   THE   FRONTIER.  65 

money  they  owed  the  traders  to  be  returned  to 
them.  But  it  was  in  reality  a  simple  order  in  his 
favor,  and  the  Indians  were  again  cheated  of 
twelve  thousand  dollars.  Wherever  there  was 
stealing  the  Indians  had  to  pay  for  it,  the  amount 
being  simply  deducted  from  money  due  them. 
Thus  a  trader  received  four  thousand  five  hundred 
dollars  for  goods  which  he  claimed  had  been 
stolen  from  him,  and  a  man  at  Sioux  City  received 
five  thousand  dollars  for  horses,  also  claimed  to 
have  been  stolen  from  his  premises,  although  it 
was  known  that  the  Indian  rarely  steals  anything 
except  when  in  great  need.  When  afc  peace  with 
the  whites  they  will  carefully  return  to  them  any 
thing  they  find.  Such  actions  on  the  part  of  the 
whites  had  a  natural  tendency  to  fill  the  minds  of 
the  sons  of  the  wilderness  with  loathing  and  antipa 
thy  towards  civilization.  To  these  were  added  the 
ignominious  treatment  to  which  they  were  sub 
jected  at  the  agencies,  where  an  agent,  traders, 
numerous  employes  and  a  warehouse  are  located. 
The  Government  had  also  promised  the  Indians 
to  confer  upon  them  the  blessings  of  civilization, 
for  which  purpose  there  were  at  the  agencies 
crowds  of  employes  who  were  to  teach  them  the 
principles  of  agriculture,  mechanics,  architecture, 
etc.  The  Government,  as  a  rule,  meant  well  with 
the  Indians,  and  provided  them  with  horses  and 
cattle,  farming  implements,  seed,  etc.,  and  sent 
teachers  and  missionaries  among  them  to  educate 


66  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;  OR 

them.  *  But  the  officers  appointed  by  the  Gov 
ernment  to  deal  with  the  Indians  managed  to 
secure  the  benefits  of  the  treaties  for  themselves. 
From  the  first  to  the  last  they  were  united  for  the 
one  purpose  of  deceiving  the  Indians.  How  the 
Indians  received  their  stipulated  provisions,  cloth 
ing,  etc.,  may  be  illustrated  by  one  example.  It 
was  in  the  year  1865.  A  large  number  of  barrels 
of  flour  and  meat  were  to  be  sent  from  Henderson, 
Sibley  Co.,  Minn.,  to  Fort  Abercrombie.  The 
contractors,  in  order  to  obtain  the  necessary  con 
veyances  at  the  lowest  possible  figure,  deferred 
the  delivery  of  these  provisions  so  long  that  the 
whole  train  was  snowed  in  over  a  hundred  miles 
from  the  Fort.  The  barrels  were  simply  put  on 
the  open  prairie  and  the  teamsters  came  back. 
When  the  poor,  half-starved  Sioux  were  informed 
of  this  some  time  after,  they  started  out  to  get  the 
provisions,  but,  instead  of  good  flour  they  found 
bran  and  shorts,  and  flour  made  from  spoiled 
wheat,  which  could  not  be  used  for  bread;  and 
yet  the  contractors  received  nearly  fifteen  dollars 
a  barrel  for  the  lot. 

Those  who  are  acquainted  with  the  management 
of  Indian  affairs  at  this  present  time  must  acknow 
ledge  that  there  has  been  no  change  for  the  better. 
The  same  complaints  and  the  same  systematic 
swindles  are  the  prolific  cause  of  continual  blood- 


*  The  Indian  Missions  were  in  the  hands  of  the  Episco 
palians. 


DAYS  OF  HORROK  ON  THE  FRONTIER.       67 

shed,  and  probably  will  not  cease  till  the  last  red 
man  is  dead. 

The  principal  agent  divides  the  money  allotted 
to  the  Indians  among  sub-officers  and  traders, 
who,  at  the  time  of  payment,  receives  enormous 
sums  of  money  for  pretended  services  rendered 
and  goods  sold  to  the  Indians.  Contractors, 
whose  business  it  was  to  procure  whatever  was 
needed  at  the  agency,  such  as  provisions,  horses 
and  cattle,  farming  implements,  etc.,  charged 
enormously  for  their  services.  The  Indians  were 
to  be  supplied  with  good  horses  and  cattle,  but 
they  received  the  worst  and  the  poorest,  for  which 
they  had  to  pay  five  times  the  ordinary  value. 
The  Indians  not  knowing  the  real  value  of  the 
article,  were  continually  swindled.  A  valuable 
buffalo  hide  was  often  given  for  a  pound  of  sugar. 
Many  paid  from  three  to  five  dollars  for  a  drink  of 
whisky.  A  certain  quantity  of  fuel  was  to  be 
delivered  to  them  annually.  This  was,  despite 
their  protests,  cut  on  their  own  land,  and  they 
were  compelled  to  pay  a  high  price  for  it.  A  large 
mill  was  built  of  funds  belonging  to  the  Indians, 
and  still  they  had  to  pay  a  high  price  for  whatever 
they  obtained  from  there.  Houses  were  erected 
for  the  Indians  for  the  sole  purpose  of  giving  the 
contractors  a  chance;  the  Indians  preferred  to  live 
in  their  tepees.  Many  of  the  Indians  had  fine 
houses  of  brick,  but  remained  in  their  tepees. 
One  very  interesting  feature  was  how  they  were 
taught  the  different  arts  and  sciences.  Some  em- 


68  THE  INDIANS'  KEVENGE;   OB 

ployes  were  continually  building  fences  only  to  be 
used  for  fuel  by   the  Indians.     They  would  plow 
and  sow  at  all  seasons  of  the  year  simply  to  show 
the  Indians  how  it  was  done.     One   Randall,  -em 
ployed  as  a  teacher,  used  to  drive  his  pupils  away 
from   school   with   a  whip,   but   drew    his   salary 
amounting  to  several  thousand  dollars  regularly. 
The  pious  missionaries  *  caused  churches  and  fine 
residences  for  themselves  to  be  built  out  of  funds 
belonging  to   the  Indians,  and  there  they  would 
reside  in  evangelical  poverty  with  their  wives  and 
children,  and  with  all  their  severity  towards  the 
Indians,  would  not  even  take  notice  of  the  fact 
that  Indian  girls  and  young  women  were  subjected 
to  a  most  shameful  and  disgraceful  treatment  at 
the  hands  of  Government  employes.     There  were 
even  procurers  among  the  Indians,  who,  in  con 
sideration  of  good  pay  and  good  treatment,  did 
all  in  their  power  to  assist  the  whites  in  morally 
ruining  the  Indians.     The  consequence  of   such 
debaucheries  are,  alas!    weighed   down   with   the 
curse  of  sin.     The  half-breeds  generally  practice 
the   vices  of   both   the   white   and   the   red   man 
without  possessing  any  of  the  virtues  of  either. 


*  The  so-called  spiritual  affairs  were  in  the  hands  of 
missionaries  of  the  Episcopal  church  who  drew  large  salaries. 
Dr.  Williamson  and  Dr.  Riggs  were  the  rectors  of  the  mis 
sion.  They  must  not  have  been  very  popular,  since  of  the 
thirty-eight  Indians  condemned  to  death  at  Maukato,  in 
1862,  thirty-six  were  received  into  the  Catholic  church. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


Continuation  of  the  Causes  of  the  Outbreak. — A  Pay-day. — 
The  Sisseton  Chief  Mazasha.— Plan  to  Attack  the 
Whites  fails. — Chiefs  Lean  Bear  and  Inkpaduta. — 
Assassination  of  many  Whites  by  the  Indians. — Little 
Crow. — New  Attempts  to  Civilize. — Poor  Crops  and 
Poverty  of  the  Indians. — Civil  War  and  the  Indians. — 
New  Disagreements. — Anxiety  of  the  Indians  about  their 
Money. — Soldier's  Lodge. — Signs  of  a  Coming  Revolt. — 
A  Government  Warehouse.— Key ville  Rangers. — Two 
Germans  killed. — Three  Watchmen  and  one  Prisoner. — 
Anxiety  of  the  Settlers  and  false  Reports. 

* 

SUCH  was  the  compensation  the  Indians  had 
received  for  their  beautiful  hunting  grounds. 
And  their  treatment  at  the  hands  of  the  whites 
was  at  times  that  of  a  dog.  Great  was  their  joy 
when  the  "great"  pay-day  came.  A  few  days  pre 
vious  they  gathered  at  the  agency.  The  promises 
of  the  agent  to  give  them  full  pay  increased  their 
joy.  As  soon  as  the  Indian  money  had  arrived 
payments  began  to  be  made.  A  sufficient  number 
of  soldiers  were  called  to  keep  order  during  the 
time.  These  were  placed  around  the  paymaster, 
and  then  the  Indians,  heads  of  families,  were 
called  to  receive  the  money,  twenty-five  dollars 
per  head.  The  agent  held  out  the  money  and  the 
Indian  wanted  to  take  it,  but  there  stood  the 


70  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;  OR 

traders  and  contractors  with  their  sacks  open, 
handing  the  agent  their  bills,  about  which  the 
deceived  Indian  frequently  knew  nothing.  The 
Indian  could  take  his  family  and  go.  Another 
follows  him  who  seldom  fares  better.  If,  however, 
one  of  them  carries  off  some  money,  he  will  soon 
meet  with  gamblers  and  saloon  keepers  who  are 
shrewd  enough,  despite  severe  laws,  to  catch  the 
last  penny  from  the  unsophisticated  red  man.  If 
he  lodges  complaint  with  the  agent,  he  finds  that 
the  evil  cannot  be  undone.  The  agent  remembers 
also  that  many  a  gold  coin  has  found  its  way  into 
his  own  pocket  on  account  of  his  services  at  the 
time  of  payment.  But  the  Indian  is  shrewd  and 
wise  enough  to  understand  these  actions  of  the 
civilized  man,  and  .consequently  cannot  but  hate 
and  despise  him  and  look  upon  him  as  a  dangerous 
enemy. 

Every  one  knew  that  the  quantity  of  such  com 
bustible  material  was  immense,  and  that  a  great 
conflagration  was  even  at  the  doors.  In  the  year 
1852  the  dissatisfaction  among  the  Indians  was 
already  so  great  that  serious  danger  was  to  be 
feared.  The  chief  of  the  Sisseton,  Mazasha  (Red 
Iron),  had,  on  account  of  his  bad  behavior,  to 
be  deprived  of  his  dignity  as  chief  by  Eamsey,  the 
Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs.  This  took  place 
at  a  meeting  in  December,  1852.  lied  Iron  was 
the  real  type  of  an  Indian  chief,  some  six  feet 
high,  strongly  built,  a  finely-shaped  head,  a  prom 
inent  nose  and  piercing  eyes.  He  was  clad  in  the 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.       71 

costume  of  a  Dakota  chief;  about  forty  years  old, 
shrewd,  proud  and  determined,  and  answered 
boldly  and  promptly  the  questions  and  objections 
raised  by  Ramsey.  He  had  considerable  talents 
as  an  orator.  When  Ramsey  insisted  upon  getting 
his  signature  for  the  purpose  of  retaining  a  con 
siderable  sum  of  money  from  funds  belonging  to 
the  Indians  in  order  to  pay  some  old  debts  due 
the  traders,  Red  Iron,  raising  himself  to  his  full 
height,  pressing  his  hand  firmly  upon  his  scalp 
ing  knive,  with  a  firm  and  determined  look  at  the 
agent,  said: 

"  We  want  our  pay,  and  we  will  sign  no  paper 
except  a  receipt  for  the  money.  The  snow  covers 
the  ground,  and  we  are  still  waiting  for  our  money. 
We  are  very  poor;  you  have  plenty.  Your  fires 
burn  well;  your  tents  are  well  closed  against  the 
cold.  We  have  nothing  to  eat.  We  wait  a  long 
time  for  our  money.  Many  of  our  people  are  sick 
from  hunger.  We  will  have  to  die,  because  you 
do  not  pay  us.  We  may  die,  and  if  so  we  will 
leave  our  bones  unburied,  so  that  our  Great 
Father  may  see  how  his  Dakota  children  died. 
We  have  sold  our  hunting  grounds  and  no  less 
the  graves  of  our  fathers.  We  also  sold  our  own 
graves.  We  do  not  know  where  we  shall  bury 
our  dead,  and  you  will  not  pay  the  money  for  that 
land." 

After  this  well-delivered  speech  the  chief  was 
taken  prisoner.  The  air  began  to  tremble  before 
the  hideous  yells  of  the  Dakota  warriors,  and 


72  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;  OR 

armed  Indians  hurried  from  all  sides  to  a  place 
upon  which  the  bones  of  dead  warriors  were 
strewn  about.  Lean  Bear,  a  favorite  among  the 
warriors  of  Red  Iron's  band,  a  determined  and 
powerful  Indian,  dropped  his  blanket  and  grasped 
the  scalping  knife  with  his  right  hand  and  re 
counted  all  the  great  deeds  of  their  imprisoned 
chief,  whereupon  they  cried  "  Ho!  ho!"  After 
that  he  said  to  them: 

"  Dakotas!  the  great  men  are  among  us;  they 
hold  Mazasha  imprisoned  like  a  wolf;  they  want 
to  kill  him  because  he  prevents  the  white  men  to 
cheat  us  of  our  land  and  the  money  which  the 
Great  Father  has  sent  us. 

He  was  interrupted  by  a  thundering  "  Ho!  ho!" 
but  continued: 

"Dakotas!  shall  we  starve  in  the  snow  like 
buffaloes?  Shall  we  permit  our  blood  to  freeze 
like  the  waters  of  a  brook,  or  shall  we  paint  the 
snow  with  the  blood  of  white  warriors  ?" 

"  Ho!  ho!"  answered  the  savages,  and  the  war- 
cry  resounded  in  the  whole  assembly. 

''Dakotas!"  he  continued,  "the  blood  of  your 
fathers  cries  to  you  from  their  graves;  their  spirits 
embrace  us  and  make  us  strong.  I  am  glad  of  it. 
Even  this  very  night  shall  the  blood  of  the  pale 
faces  flow  like  water  in  a  shower,  and  Mezasha 
shall  fight  with  his  people.  Dakotas!  as  soon  as 
the  moon  hides  behind  the  hills  prepare  your 
selves,  and  I  will  lead  you  against  the  long  knives 
(bayonets  and  swords)  of  the  white  men  who  have 


CAN-KU-WAS-TE-WIN  iGooD  ROAD  WOMAN). 
A  Sioux  Beauty. 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.       73 

come  to  swindle  us,  to  rob  us  of  our  land,  and  to 
imprison  us,  because  we  do  not  assist  them  to  rob 
our  wives  and  children.  Dakotas!  be  without 
fear;  we  have  more  warriors  than  the  whites.  Be 
ready!  When  the  moon  sinks  I  will  lead  you  to 
their  tents." 

A  half-breed  reported  at  the  agency,  and  Lean 
Bear  did  not  carry  out  his  intention.  Proof  of 
imminent  danger  from  the  part  of  the  irritated 
Indians  was  given  in  the  year  1857.  Inkpaduta 
(Scarlet-red  Point),  an  independent  and  aggressive 
chief,  was  excluded  from  the  annual  payment 
because  he  had  killed  Jac-Sagi,  the  chief  of  the 
Wahpekutas,  and  several  of  his  relatives.  Many 
outlawed  and  irrepressible  Indians  gathered 
around  him.  Through  robbing  and  stealing  they 
became  a  terror  to  the  frontier  settlers,  who  took 
the  rifles  from  the  Indians  and  hid  them  in  orcler 
to  escape  greater  danger.  The  Indians,  already 
irritated,  found  their  rifles  and  came  armed  into 
the  settlement  of  Spirit  Lake,  southwest  of  the 
Minnesota,  and  asked  for  something'  to  eat,  which 
they  obtained.  Soon  after  came  Inkpaduta  and 
his  followers,  twelve  in  number,  with  two  boys  and 
some  women,  who  likewise  demanded  something 
to  eat.  When  the  settler  answered  that  he  had 
nothing  more,  Inkpaduta  said  to  his  oldest  son 
that  it  was  disgraceful  to  beg  of  these  people  for 
something  to  eat,  which  they  ought  to  take  and 
not  wait  until  it  was  thrown  to  them  as  if  they 
4 


74  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;   OB 

were  dogs,  whereupon  the  chief's  son  immediately 
shot  and  killed  the  settler. 

And  not  only  the  assassination  of  the  whole 
family  followed,  but  the  Indians  went  from  house 
to  house  in  the  entire  settlement  and  killed  all  the 
settlers  with  the  exception  of  four  women,  whom 
they  abused  most  terribly.  From  there  they  went 
to  Springfield,  at  the  mouth  of  Shetek  or  Pelican 
Lake,  where  they  remained  for  a  few  days  and  did 
some  trading  with  one  Wood  and  his  brother. 
The  two  Woods  informed  the  Indians  that  soldiers 
were  after  them,  whereupon  both  were  killed  and 
their  house  burned  to  the  ground.  After  having 
killed  seventeen  more  in  that  neighborhood  they 
were  driven  back  by  the  settlers. 

The  entire  number  of  the  killed  was  forty-seven. 
Of  the  four  captured  women  two  (Stephens  and 
Noble)  were  put  to  death,  and  two  (Marble  and 
Gardner)  were  set  free  by  the  Wahpeton  Sioux. 
The  three  Indians  who  did  this  were  rewarded 
with  one  thousand  dollars  each.  With  the  aid  of 
friendly  Indians  the  soldiers  pursued  the  outlaws, 
and  Inkpaduta  and  eleven  of  his  followers  were 
killed.  The  others  were  followed  up,  and  three 
were  killed  and  one  wounded,  whereupon  Little 
Crow,  the  leader  of  the  friendly  tribe,  said  that 
they  had  done  enough  to  punish  the  Indians  and 
to  earn  their  reward.  This  same  Little  Crow 
became  later  on  the  principal  leader  of  the  out 
break. 

C.  W.  Thompson   and  T.  Galbraith   were   the 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.         5 

Indian  agents  all  of  the  year  1861.  During  the 
month  of  June,  the  new  agents  and  many  new 
employes  settled  with  their  families  on  the  Keser- 
vation,  with  the  good  intention  of  civilizing  the 
Indians.  They  proceeded  without  prudence  and 
knowledge  of  human  nature.  The  system  to  be 
followed  by  the  employes  was  to  tame  the  savages 
by  force.  Many  means  employed  to  obtain  this 
end,  and  which  were  considered  reasonable,  were 
so  directly  opposed  to  the  views,  customs  and 
manners  of  the  Indians,  that  they  were  seriously 
offended  thereby.  Conscious  of  physical  power 
and  shrewdness  they  committed  the  error  of  all 
tyrants  who  believe  themselves  secure  when  they 
can  manage  to  keep  the  body  in  subjection  with 
out  having  gained  the  heart.  These  false  notions 
bore  evil  fruit,  especially  under  this  new  manage 
ment.  Then  came  the  close  of  the  year  1861, 
which  was  very  unfavorable  for  the  Indians. 
Crops  were  poor,  especially  among  the  upper 
Sioux.  Bugs  had  completely  destroyed  the  corn 
belonging  to  the  Sissetons,  and  the  grain  belong 
ing  to  the  Wahpetons,  Medawakontons  and  Wah- 
pekutas  was  also  partly  ruined. 

The  poverty  of  the  tribes  was  so  great  that  by 
the  middle  of  December,  fifteen  hundred  of  them 
had  to  be  provided  with  provisions  in  order  to 
save  them  from  starvation.  A  fearful  snow-storm 
came  during  the  latter  part  of  February,  1862, 
and  this  frustrated  their  hopes  of  soon  being  able 
to  supply  themselves  with  game.  Under  these 


7  6  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;   OB 

circumstances  they  anxiously  waited  for  the  pay 
day  of  1862.  They  knew  all  about  the  great 
Civil  War  which  was  then  in  progress,  and  this 
increased  their  fears  that  the  Government  might 
not  be  able  to  pay  them.  They  also  desired  to  see 
the  North  whipped,  so  that  they  might  be  enabled 
to  complete  the  work.  There  are  those  who  think 
that  some  who  were  in  sympathy  with  the  South 
did  all  they  could  to  induce  the  Indians  into  mis 
chief.  Misled  by  unfavorable  reports  the  Indians 
imagined  that  they  had  to  fight  only  with  old  men, 
Women  and  children,  and  that  they  had  reason  to 
fear  that  they  never  would  receive  any  more  money. 
The  different  tribes  went  to  the  agency  early  to 
demand  their  pay.  The  agents  told  them  they 
would  receive  their  money,  but  did  not  know 
when,  which  caused  great  dissatisfaction  among 
the  Indians.  In  the  course  of  time  from  five  to 
six  thousand  were  gathered  there.  All  were  full 
of  fear  and  mistrust  lest  they  might  not  receive 
their  money.  Their  want  was  so  great  that  many 
died  of  hunger,  others  lived  on  roots  and  raw 
corn.  Reports  were  circulated  by  some  of  the 
whites  that  the  Government  was  becoming  weaker 
day  by  day,  and  messengers  began  to  go  from  one 
tribe  to  another  planning  the  possibility  and  suc 
cess  of  a  revolt.  The  older  and  more  intelligent 
among  them  were  opposed  to  it;  but  the  hot 
headed,  and  especially  the  younger  warriors, 
formed  themselves  into  a  secret  society  called 
"  Soldiers'  Lodge." 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.       77 

This  secret  society,  established  early  in  July, 
had  for  its  object  to  oppose  the  traders  and  to 
prevent  them  from  getting  their  money,  and  in 
case  of  necessity  to  defend  their  rights  by  force. 
The  chiefs,  although  informed  of  this  organiza 
tion,  did  not  dare  oppose  it.  They  well  under 
stood  the  dangers  connected  with  it,  since  these 
young  warriors  numbered  from  five  thousand  to 
six  thousand;  and  the  chiefs  were  even  suspected 
of  being  in  league  with  the  officers  of  the  Gov 
ernment  for  suppressing  and  swindling  their 
people.  The  traders  soon  learned  about  the 
Soldiers'  Lodge  and  its  object,  and  when  the 
Indians  wanted  to  buy  something  from  them  on 
credit,  they  were  told  to  go  to  the  Soldiers'  Lodge. 
The  Indians,  compelled  to  ask  for  credit  on  ac 
count  of  their  extreme  need,  would  answer  the 
traders:  "  If  we  could,  like  our  women,  give  our 
selves  up  to  you,  we  could  get  all  the  credit  we 
ask  for;  but,  since  we  are  men,  we  cannot." 

And  thus  did  the  bitterness  increase  during  the 
year  1862.  Those  who  were  suspected  of  having 
informed  the  traders  and  others  of  the  doings  of 
the  society  were  severely  persecuted,  and  some  of 
them  killed.  Their  first  act  of  violence  was  com 
mitted  on  the  4th  of  August,  1862.  The  time  for 
payment  was  up  in  July.  The  want  among  the 
assembled  tribes  was  alarmingly  on  the  increase. 
Some  of  them  had  already  devoured  their  ponies 
and  dogs.  Six  children  had  died  of  starvation 
within  three  days.  Agent  Galbraith  traveled  from 


78  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;   OB 

one  agency  to  another  in  order  to  pacify  them; 
and  sometimes  distributed  provisions,  tobacco, 
powder  and  lead.  But  that  was  not  sufficient  to 
quiet  the  uneasiness  caused  by  the  delay  of  their 
pay.  Early  in  the  morning  of  the  4th  of  August, 
some  550  young  warriors,  mostly  members  of 
Soldiers'  Lodge,  forced  an  entrance  into  the  ware 
house,  tore  down  the  American  flag  and  took  over 
150  sacks  of  flour  before  any  resistance  was  offered, 
which  could  have  been  done,  since  there  were  one 
hundred  well-armed  soldiers  with  two  heavy  can 
nons  near  by.  The  soldiers  entered  the  ware 
house  and  took  possession  of  it  whilst  the  Indians 
stood  around  with  loaded  rifles.  Bui  when  the 
agent  promised  to  furnish  them  with  pork,  rice 
and  flour  the  following  day,  they  did  not  attempt 
any  further  disturbance. 

The  fact  that  not  one  of  the  warriors  was  pun 
ished  for  this  serious  breach  of  the  peace  made 
them  bold  and  daring;  and  the  more  so  when  they 
saw  the  able  men  among  the  whites  leave  for  the 
South  at  their  country's  call  on  the  13th,  14th  and 
15th  of  August.  On  the  18th  of  August,  at  8 
A.  M.,  they  left  New  Ulm  under  Lieutenant  Culver 
and  Sergeant  McGrew,  as  "Keyville  Bangers," 
and  on  the  same  day  the  Indians  broke  out. 

The  time  was  now  at  hand  which  was  to  give  the 
two  Germans  who  had  been  murdered  some  time 
before  numerous  companions.  A  man  named  Brand 
had  been  put  to  death  on  the  banks  of  the  Little 
Cottonwood,  six  miles  south  of  New  Ulm,  in  the 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.       79 

spring  of  1857,  and  his  body  was  found  in  the 
brush  near  some  Indian  tepees.  John  B.  Schmitz 
wanted  to  settle  on  the  Reservation  ten  miles 
west  of  New  Ulm,  but  on  the  27th  of  April,  1860, 
while  digging  a  cellar,  he  was  treacherously  shot 
and  killed. 

The  murderer,  a  Sioux,  was  imprisoned  at  New 
Ulm.  During  the  trial  in  the  court-room  a  heavy 
chain  was  attached  to  his  feet,  and  he  was  well 
guarded.  At  a  necessary  call  he  desired  to  leave 
the  room.  Constable  Charles  Seeler  obtained  the 
assistance  of  his  deputy,  Dr.  Blecken,  a  renowned 
physician  who  was  at  one  time  a  Lutheran  minis 
ter,  but  is  now  a  preacher  at  a  free  church;  he  is 
also  one  of  the  founders  of  New  Ulm.  To  guard 
against  any  possible  accident,  a  third  deputy  was 
called  into  service.  But  man  proposed,  and,  in 
this  instance,  the  Indian  disposed.  So  soon  as  he 
was  in  the  open  air  he  managed  to  shake  off  his 
fetters,  and  with  the  swiftness  of  a  deer  the  stal 
wart  form  of  the  Indian  disappeared  from  before 
their  astonished  gaze.  The  three  officers  of  the 
law,  on  account  of  the  sudden  and  unexpected 
disappearance  of  their  prisoner,  were  so  stunned 
that  they  did  not  as  much  as  remember  their 
revolvers,  which  were  left  untouched  in  their 
official  pockets.  It  was  just  at  dusk  and  the 
Indian  did  not  return.  The  trial  was  over. 

Such  murders  and  the  regular  escape  of  the 
perpetrators  might  well  cause  fear  and  anxiety 
among  the  settlers.  Some  of  the  whites  would 


80  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;  OK 

sometimes  spread  false  rumors  of  atrocious  crimes, 
considering  it  a  huge  joke.  Thus,  in  the  year 
1861,  a  rumor  was  circulated  that  the  Indians  had 
gone  on  the  war-path.  Settlers  fled,  leaving 
everything  behind.  A  company  of  soldiers  hur 
ried  to  the  scene.  But  it  turned  out  to  be  a  hoax. 
The  consequence  of  this  was  that  the  commander 
at  Fort  Snelling,  in  August,  1862,  when  most  ear 
nestly  requested  to  send  immediate  assistance, 
delayed  doing  so  under  the  impression  that  the 
reported  Indian  outbreak  was  likewise  a  hoax. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


The  Outbreak  in  August,  1862.— Mail-carrier  Miles.— Paper 
Money  instead  of  Gold  Coin. — A  Fraudulent  Agent. — A 
Bill  without  the  Interested  Party.— The  Trader  Myrick. 
— Mak-pe-ya-we-tah. — Instigations  among  the  Indians. — 
The  Assassination  of  the  families  of  Jones,  Baker  and 
"Webster. — A  Frightful  Scene. — Indians  prepare. — Indian 
Gathering  on  Bice  Creek. — The  Signal  is  given. — Draft 
ing  at  New  Ulm. — An  Attack. — Five  Dead  and  one 
Mutilated. 

ABOUT    the   middle   of    August,   mail-carrier 
Miles  was  met   by   the   Indians   some  two 
miles  south  of  the  lower  Agency  and  led  out  of 
his  way  across  the  prairie,  because  they  were  hold 
ing  a  secret  meeting  in  a  ravine  on  the  bank  of  the 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.        81 

Wabash  River,  where  he  would  have  observed 
them.  A  few  days  previous  to  this  Miles  noticed 
some  newly-cut  signs  on  the  trees,  apparently  of 
great  importance.  About  the  same  time  friendly 
Indians  warned  the  settlers  of  the  approaching 
dangers,  saying:  "  Pakat-shi "  (go  away)  and 
"Nippo"  (to  kill).  They  also  made  signs  with 
their  hands  which  the  whites  did  not  want  to 
understand  or  believe.  A  week  or  so  before  the 
outbreak,  a  number  of  gaudily-decorated  Indians 
held  in  the  town  of  New  Ulm  those  wild  dances, 
which  are  always  forebodings  of  evil.  Their  toma 
hawks  and  scalping-knives  were  sharpened.  The 
causes  of  this  outbreak  were  evidently  the  neglect 
of  a  prompt  fulfillment  of  duty  on  the  part  of  the 
Government  officials,  the  extreme  need  of  the  In 
dians  and  delay  of  their  annual  pay.  They  were 
to  receive  their  money  in  gold  coin.  The  Govern 
ment  sent  the  money  promptly  to  St.x  Paul  where 
it  remained  for  a  long  time;  but  the  officials  in 
whose  hands  it  had  been  placed  exchanged  it  for 
paper  money  at  a  great  premium,  in  opposition  to 
the  loud  protests  of  the  Government  employes  at 
the  agencies.  When  they  were  at  last  compelled 
to  send  the  money  for  distribution  among  the 
Indians  they  sent  currency  instead  of  coin,  as  was 
stipulated.  The  Indians  not  being  accustomed 
to  handle  paper  money,  became  greatly  enraged, 
so  that  the  agents  finally  concluded  to  exchange  it 
for  gold.  This,  of  course,  caused  a  great  loss,  the 
premium  being  then  very  high.  But  the  agents 


82  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;   OR 

were  little  concerned  about  this,  for  they  intended 
to  make  the  Indians  pay  the  discount.  They  soon 
found  out,  however,  that  they  had  been  calculating 
without  consulting  the  party  most  deeply  inter 
ested  in  the  transaction. 

The  anger  of  the  Indians  increased.  They 
did  not  wait  till  the  agent  at  St.  Paul  could  make 
the  necessary  exchange,  (which  required  consider 
able  time,)  but  rose  up  everywhere,  and  gave  free 
scope  to  their  sorely  pent-up  feelings  of  revenge. 
A  settlement  as  sudden  as  it  was  violent,  not  in 
gold  but  in  blood,  was  to  balance  the  unjust  ac 
counts  which  had  hitherto  been  kept  between  a 
civilized  and  a  savage  people.  Suddenly  and 
violently  did  the  sword  of  vengeance  fall  upon  the 
heads  of  those  who  would  not  believe  that  such 
could  happen,  even  in  the  face  of  fire  and  sword. 
A  proud  trader  named  Myrick  was  much  hated 
among  the  Indians,  and  they  appeared  in  front  of 
his  store  and  said:  "  You  have  told  us  you  would 
not  give  us  anything  on  credit,  though  we  were 
compelled  to  eat  hay  and  ordure,  or  starve,  during 
the  winter.  Now,  then,  be  careful  not  to  take 
water  or  wood  from  our  reservation." 

Myrick  answered:  "  All  right;  but  if  you  are 
cold,  and  want  to  warm  yourselves  at  my  stove,  I 
will  put  you  out  of  my  house." 

They  had  told  the  same  to  other  traders  and 
had  received  about  the  same  answer.  This  was 
just  before  the  outbreak. 

The  more  friendly  chiefs  were  no  longer  able  to 


DAYS  OF  HOEROB  ON  THE  FRONTIER.        83 

prevent  the  young  warriors,  especially  the  mem 
bers  of  Soldiers'  Lodge,  from  committing  acts  of 
violence.  On  the  17th  of  August,  some  twenty 
Indians  went  from  the  Lower  Reservation  to  Forest 
City,  on  a  deer  hunt.  The  chief,  Wah-pe-yah-we- 
tah,  separated  himself  with  four  Indians  from  the 
others.  They  originally  belonged  to  the  Upper 
Reservation,  but  were  connected  with  Shakopee's 
band  and  had  a  hard  name.  Some  six  miles  from 
Acton,  and  thirty  miles  from  the  Agency,  one  of 
the  Indians  found  a  hen's  nest,  with  eggs,  in  a  field. 
He  took  one  and  advised  others  to  take  the  rest. 
But  one  of  the  four  said:  "  They  are  the  eggs  of 
a  tame  bird  and  they  belong  to  a  white  man. 
You  must  not  touch  them." 

"Nonsense!"  said  the  other,  "they  are  not 
worth  anything.  We  are  hungry  and  are  justified 
in  taking  them." 

"No,"  responded  the  latter,  "  they  do  not  be 
long  to  us.  It  is  wrong  to  take  them;  we  will  get 
into  trouble  with  the  paleface." 

"  Oh,"  said  the  former,  "  you  are  very  virtuous! 
You  Rice-Creek  Indians  talk  much  against  the 
whites,  but  you  dare  not  take  a  few  miserable 
eggs.  I  am  not  afraid,  you  miserable  fools  !" 

"You  must  not  talk  about  the  paleface,"  said 
the  other,  "  because  he  is  not  present.  Vilify  me, 
for  I  am  here  and  am  not  afraid  of  your  violent 
talk." 

"  To  the  devil  with  you  and  your  eggs  I"  was  the 


84  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;   OR 

reply  more  vigorous  than  elegant;  and  down  came 
the  eggs. 

"  That  is  a  very  brave  deed,"  said  his  companion, 
mockingly,  "to  destroy  a  few  hen's  eggs.  You 
are  a  coward  !" 

The  quarrel  became  more  earnest  and  more  bit 
ter  as  they  went  on.  All  at  once  they  spied  a 
heifer,  and  the  one  who  had  broken  the  eggs  cried 
out:  "  You  say  I  am  a  coward.  I  am  so  courage 
ous  and  fear  the  palefaces  so  little  that  I  will  kill 
one  of  their  heifers.  Look  here!  " 

He  leveled  his  rifle  and  shot  the  heifer. 

"  You  call  that  bravery?"  said  the  other.  "I  call 
it  a  cowardly  act.  You  destroy  eggs  and  kill  an 
ox.  You  are  a  woman.  I  am  a  brave  man  and 
know  what  bravery  is.  I  was  in  the  war  with  the 
Chippeways  and  have  taken  scalps.* 

And  thus  they  quarreled  for  a  while  longer  till 
it  nearly  came  to  a  fight,  when  the  others  stepped 
in  and  said: 

"  Since  we  cannot  agree,  we  will  part  and  take 
different  roads.  You  will  find  out  whether  we  are 
cowardly  or  brave.  We  will  kill  a  paleface."  And 
they  separated.  Soon  after  that  they  heard  shots, 
and  believing  that  those  who  had  separated  from 


*  The  Chippeways  live  on  White  Earth  Keservation,  in  the 
northern  part  of  Minnesota.  Being  formerly  the  bitter  ene 
mies  of  the  Sioux,  they  were  greatly  tempted  to  take  part  in 
the  outbreak  under  their  famous  chief  Pozo-ne-gi-shilk 
(Hole-in-the-Day).  They  were  prevented  from  doing  so 
through  the  influence  of  an  old  Catholic  Indian  Missionary, 
Father  Pierz,  whereby  his  own  life  was  endangered. 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.        85 

them  had  killed  some  of  the  settlers,  they  thought 
they  should  do  the  same,  so  as  not  to  appear  to  be 
cowards  before  the  others.  They,  however,  dis 
agreed  again.  They  passed  a  vacant  house;  but 
when  they  came  to  the  next,  the  home  of  R.  Jones, 
they  went  in.  They  soon  began  to  quarrel  with 
him  about  some  eatables  and  a  gun.  Jones  drove 
them  away,  and  they  entered  another  house  which 
was  the  home  of  Howard  Baker,  Jones'  son-in-law. 
There  were  two  strangers  with  Baker,  (Mr.  Web 
ster  and  his  wife)  who  had  just  arrived  from  Wis 
consin  with  the  intention  of  locating  in  that  neigh 
borhood. 

The  Indians  asked  for  water  and  tobacco,  which 
were  given  them.  They  were  very  quiet  until 
Jones  and  his  wife,  who  came  to  pay  their  daugh 
ter  and  son-in-law  a  visit,  arrived.  The  quarrel 
between  Jones  and  one  of  the  Indians  was  re 
newed.  Mrs.  Baker  asked  her  mother  if  she  had 
given  the  Indians  any  whisky,  to  which  she  re 
plied:  "No,  we  have  no  whisky  for  such  black 
devils  as  these." 

The  Indians  seemed  to  have  understood  this 
answer,  judging  from  their  sudden  excitement. 
Mrs.  Webster  requested  Mrs.  Jones  to  drop  the 
matter.  The  Indians,  however,  were  now  ready 
for  their  deadly  work.  Jones  was  trying  to  sell 
Baker's  gun  to  one  of  the  Indians.  The  latter 
asked  Jones  to  shoot  and  try  the  gun,  probably 
with  the  intention  of  leaving  an  empty  gun  in  his 
hands.  Jones  was  willing  to  comply  with  this 


86  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;   OR 

request,  and  remarked  that  he  was  not  afraid  to 
shoot  with  any  of  the  cursed  redskins.  Webster 
did  not  want  to  do  any  shooting,  although  he  had 
a  gun.  One  of  the  Indians  said  that  something 
was  wrong  with  the  hammer  of  his  gun,  and  asked 
him  to  take  his  off  and  lend  it  to  him.  After  the 
shooting  was  over  the  Indians  reloaded  their  guns, 
but  Jones  and  Baker  neglected  to  reload  theirs. 
Meanwhile  one  of  the  Indians  had  gone  toward 
Forest  City  to  find  out  whether  there  were  any 
whites  in  the  neighborhood.  When  he  returned, 
the  four  Indians  consulted  together  and  acted  as 
if  they  wanted  to  leave.  Mrs.  Jones  and  Mrs. 
Baker  stood  on  the  door-steps.  Suddenly  the  In 
dians  turned  around,  and  one  of  them  leveled  his 
gun  at  Mrs.  Baker.  Her  husband  noticing  this, 
threw  himself  at  once  between  his  wife  and  the 
Indian  and  received  the  deadly  bullet.  At  the 
same  moment  Jones,  Webster  and  Mrs.  Jones 
were  shot.  When  Mrs.  Baker,  who  held  a  child 
on  her  arm,  saw  her  husband  drop  dead,  she 
fainted  and  fell  backwards  into  the  cellar,  the 
door  of  which  was  open,  and  thus  escaped  death 
herself.  Jones'  children  were  also  in  the  house, 
but  were  not  noticed. 

The  Indians  then  returned  to  Jones'  house  and 
killed  and  scalped  a  girl.  Her  brother,  who  was 
lying  on  a  bed,  saw  it,  but  did  not  venture  to  stir. 
Mrs.  Webster  hid  in  a  covered  wagon  and  escaped. 
After  the  Indians  had  left  Baker's  house  Mrs. 
Baker  came  out  of  the  cellar,  and,  with  the  assist- 


DAYS  OP  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.        87 

ance  of  Mrs.  Webster,  who  also  came  out  of  the 
wagon,  placed  pillows  under  the  heads  of  the 
wounded.  The  situation  of  these  poor  women 
was  deplorable.  Their  fright  and  despair,  their 
loneliness  and  uncertainty  of  what  the  next  mo 
ment  might  have  in  store  for  them,  were  inten 
sified  by  the  groans  of  the  dying  inen.  Jones, 
a  strong  and  heavily-built  man,  of  extraordinary 
height,  dark  complexion,  dark  hair  and  beard,  with 
a  keen  eye,  was  the  very  ideal  of  a  cavalry  officer. 
His  strong  constitution  wrestled  with  death.  In 
his  agony  he  filled  his  mouth  with  dust,  and,  with 
his  heels,  dug  deep  holes  in  the  ground,  begging 
his  wife  to  fly  with  her  child.  But  she  stayed  with 
him  till  he  died,  and  then  fled  into  the  woods. 

Daring  this  fearful  scene  a  white  man  passed  by 
who,  being  requested  by  the  women  to  help  them, 
laughed  and  said:  "They  have  only  the  nose 
bleed.  The  Indians  will  soon  come  and  finish 
them."  The  two  women,  on  going  toward  the 
woods,  entered  the  house  of  a  Norwegian.  They 
found  only  a  boy  at  home,  and  they  sent  him  at 
once  with  the  terrible  news  to  Fort  Bidgely,  twelve 
miles  away.  But  the  officers  had  such  little  faith 
in  the  boy's  story  that  they  waited  a  considerable 
time  before  sending  a  messenger  to  Forest  City, 
where  Capt.  Whitcomb  had  his  recruits.  Twelve 
mounted  men  were  immediately  despatched  to 
Acton,  which  they  reached  about  dusk.  Having 
placed  a  wagon -box  over  Jones'  body,  to  conceal 


88  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;   OR 

it  from  the  danger  of  mutilation,  they  did  not  dis 
turb  the  others  till  the  next  morning. 

The  report  of  the  terrible  tragedy  soon  spread 
abroad  and  a  large  crowd  gathered  at  the  place  to 
view  the  remains.  Meanwhile,  the  Indians  who 
had  separated  themselves  from  their  criminal  com 
panions  and  were  as  yet  ignorant  of  the  crime, 
came  within  sight  of  the  place.  When  they  saw 
what  had  happened  there  they  fled  with  great 
speed  across  the  swamp.  The  whites  did  not 
dare  to  follow  them;  but  one  bold  man  from  For 
est  City  pursued  them  and  sent  his  bullets  after 
them.  One  of  the  Indians  jumped  from  his  pony 
and  shot  back,  but  soon  joined  his  companions 
again. 

These  murders  and  the  circumstances  con 
nected  with  them  began  to  open  the  eyes  of  the 
whites  as  to  their  dangerous  surroundings.  Many 
of  the  Indians  were  now  bolder  and  more  defiant 
than  ever.  Fourteen  of  them  had  on  the  Sunday 
previous  sharpened  their  knives  and  cleaned 
their  rifles  at  a  place  five  miles  from  Acton.  It 
was  therefore  deemed  absolutely  necessary  to 
send  a  messenger  to  the  Governor  of  the  State, 
who  soon  reached  St.  Paul;  but  his  story  was  not 
believed.  The  four  Indians  who  had  committed 
the  crime  at  Acton  went  to  Eckland's  farm,  near 
Elizabeth  Lake,  and  stole  two  horses,  and  with 
these  drove  as  speedily  as  possible  to  the  camp  of 
Chief  Shakopee,  which  they  reached  before  dawn 
of  the  18th  of  August.  Sunday,  August  17th, 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.        89 

was,  therefore,  the  day  which  marked  the  begin 
ning  of  those  awful  deeds  of  blood  through  which 
Minnesota  was  suddenly  made  so  sadly  famous. 

There  are  those  who  think  that,  when  the  four 
criminals  related  to  their  friends  and  relatives 
what  they  had  done  at  Acton,  the  majority  were 
of  the  opinion  that  the  opportune  time  for  a  gen 
eral  butchery  among  the  palefaces  had  come;  and 
in  case  this  was  not  done  they  would  have  to  bear 
the  consequences  of  the  crime  already  committed. 
But  the  fact  that  during  the  afternoon  of  this 
memorable  Sunday  a  great  council  was  held  on 
Eice  Creek,  to  which  Indians  had  come  a  distance 
of  forty  miles,  is  sufficient  evidence  that  this 
theory  is  false.  The  tragedy  and  this  council  took 
place  about  the  same  time,  and  the  Indians  who 
gathered  there  had  no  knowledge  of  the  crime. 
It  is  also  evident  that  this  meeting  had  something 
to  do  with  the  outbreak;  for  at  dusk — that  is,  soon 
after  the  meeting — the  Indians  appeared  in  war 
costume,  their  bodies  painted  and  decorated  with 
feathers,  and  half  naked,  mounted  on  their  ponies, 
were  galloping  across  the  prairies  from  tribe  to 
tribe  to  give  the  signal  which  was  to  be  so  fearful 
in  its  results  for  the  poor  settlers  who  had  ven 
tured  to  establish  a  home  near  the  hunting  grounds 
of  the  revengeful  redskins. 

The  outbreak  was  well  planned  throughout. 
The  savages  had  become  so  bold  about  that  time 
that  the  officers  and  soldiers  who  went  from 
New  Ulm  to  Fort  Bidgely  on  the  17th  of  August 


90  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;  OB 

remarked  that  something  must  be  going  on,  and 
that  it  would  be  well  to  get  ready  for  them. 

A  "  draft"  was  about  this  time  being  ordered  all 
over  the  United  States  to  replace  the  soldiers  who 
had  died  on  Southern  battle-fields.  The  young 
settlement  at  New  Ulm  and  vicinity  sent  her  best 
men  for  the  maintenance  of  the  Union,  never  sus 
pecting  that  a  cruel  and  more  formidable  enemy 
than  the  rebel  of  the  South  was  at  her  very  doors. 
On  Monday,  August  18th,  1862,  a  number  of 
citizens  of  New  Ulm  went  toward  the  lower  Agency 
to  a  Hall,  about  six  miles  from  New  Ulm,  to  be 
drafted. 

The  place  belonged  to  A.  Henle.  They  were 
accompanied  by  a  band  of  music.  Henle's  place 
is  located  south  of  the  Minnesota  on  the  edge  of 
the  prairie  and  hard  by  the  road  which  runs  along 
the  edge  of  the  forest.  When  the  company  from 
New  Ulm  had  nearly  reached  Henle's  house  the 
joyful  strains  of  music  were  suddenly  changed 
into  profound  sorrow  and  wailing.  A  few  hun 
dred  steps  from  the  place  is  a  ravine  which  carries 
the  waters  of  the  prairie  through  the  forest  to  the 
Minnesota  River.  The  entrance  to  the  ravine  is 
thickly  covered  with  timber  close  up  to  the  bridge 
which  spans  it.  When  the  teams  approached  the 
bridge  several  shots  were  fired  from  the  ravine. 
Indians  had  been  lying  in  wait  for  them.  Three 
of  the  company  fell  dead — John  Schneider,  Julius 
Fenske  and  A.  Diederich.  A  man  named  Haupt 
lost  one  of  his  eyes,  and  another  named  Steinle 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.        91 

was  mortally  wounded  and  died  near  Belle  Plain 
on  his  way  to  St.  Paul.  The  first  two  teams  were 
captured  by  the  Indians.  Those  who  could,  fled 
across  the  prairie.  The  others  were  quickly  turned 
and  driven  in  all  haste  back  to  New  Ulm.  This 
took  place  between  11  and  12  A.  M.  It  was  impos 
sible  for  them  to  offer  resistance,  not  one  of  them 
being  armed.  While  the  shooting  was  going  on, 
those  in  the  rear  of  the  train  were  in  the  act  of 
picking  up  Joseph  Messner,  who  but  a  few  min 
utes  before  had  been  wounded  by  the  Indians  and 
had  not  been  noticed  by  the  others  at  the  time. 
Besides  other  fatal  wounds  inflicted  on  him,  they 
had  cut  off  one  of  his  arms  and  one  of  his  ears. 
He  was  brought  back  to  town,  but  he  died  after 
suffering  great  agony  for  twenty-four  hours. 

Just  then  three  well-armed  men  arrived  from 
Garden  City.  Tney  had  heard  rumors  there  about 
a  massacre,  but  they  believed  them  to  have  been 
originated  by  a  few  drunken  men.  When  they 
were  shown  the  mutilated  body  of  Joseph  Messner 
they  began  to  think  differently. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

On  the  Lower  Agency. — Preparations  for  War  Noticed. — 
Wagner  and  Lamb  Killed. — Attack  on  Myrick's  Store. — 
Imposing  Kuiiis. — Pierced  by  Arrows. — Trader  Killed. — 
Crossing  the  River  the  only  Safety. — Fenske's  Wonder 
ful  Escape. — Anton  Manderf eld's  Adventure  in  Big  Stone 
Lake.  — A  Half-breed.  — Po-kat-shi.  — Flight . — Nephew's 
Death. — Escape  to  Fort  Ridgely. — News  of  the  Outbreak 
at  the  Fort.— Captain  John  S.  Marsh.— Attack  at  the 
Ferry.— Captain  Marsh's  Sad  End.— " Little  Priest."— 
News  to  the  Savages  of  the  Upper  Agency. — Chief 
"  Other  Day."— Saving  of  Sixty  Whites. 

ON  tlie  same  day  (Monday,  August  18th),  be 
tween  6  and  7  A.  M.,  the  whites  on  the  lower 
Agency  could  see  that  the  Indians  had  something 
in  view.  During  the  previous  day  they  had  been 
carrying  on  their  dances  amidst  extraordinary 
excitement  and  a  terrible  uproar.  The  road  lead 
ing  to  the  agency  was  that  morning  crowded  with 
Indians  decked  out  for  war.  The  majority  were 
painted  in  gaudy  colors — many  of  them  quite 
naked — and  they  carried,  besides  ammunition,  the 
never-to-be-forgotten  medicine  bottle.  All  were 
well  armed.  After  the  workmen  who  were  em 
ployed  at  the  agency  had  taken  their  breakfast  at 
the  restaurant  one  of  them  remarked:  "Boys, 
there  is  something  up  with  the  Indians.  Things 
are  not  as  they  ought  to  be."  His  companion 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.       93 

answered:  "  Bosh!  what  do  you  imagine?  They 
will  probably  hold  one  of  their  sham  battles." 

But  most  of  these  understood  the  state  of  affairs, 
and  the  foreman  gave  orders  at  once  to  have  the 
sheep  and  cattle  brought  in  without  delay. 

During  that  time  the  Indians  were  quietly  trying 
to  get  the  Government  horses  at  the  agency  into 
their  hands.  John  Lamb  had  some  fine  animals 
under  his  care.  He  ran  into  the  barn  just  as  the 
Indians  were  leading  them  out  as  unconcernedly 
as  if  they  were  their  own.  At  the  same  time  many 
of  the  whites  came  towards  the  barn  for  the  pur 
pose  of  getting  the  horses  for  their  own  flight,  as 
there  could  no  longer  exist  any  doubts  as  to  the 
hostile  intentions  of  the  Indians.  Lamb  was  de 
cidedly  opposed  to  the  Indians  taking  his  horses, 
and  in  his  excitement  hastily  grasped  a  pitchfork 
and  thrust  it  into  the  body  of  the  one  who  was 
taking  the  animals.  Firing  commenced  at  once, 
and  A.  H.  Wagner,  who  was  wounded,  ran  a  short 
distance  from  the  barn  and  fell  dead.  Lamb  and 
another  man  were  killed  on  the  spot. 

The  attack  at  the  lower  Agency,  twenty-eight 
miles  northwest  of  New  Ulm,  in  Kedwood  County, 
took  place  at  the  same  time.  The  first  shot  was 
fired  near  Myrick's  store  at  his  clerk,  James  Lynde. 
When  the  Indians  came  and  saw  him  standing  at 
the  door,  one  of  them  cried  out :  ' '  Now  I  will  kill 
the  dog  that  did  not  want  to  sell  me  anything  on 
credit,"  and  the  shot  was  fired.  Lynde  was  a 
well-educated  man  and  a  member  of  the  Legisla- 


94  THE  INDIANS'  BEVENGE;   OK 

ture.  Two  more  of  Myrick's  employes,  Divall  and 
Fritz,  were  Milled.  Myrick's  son  ran  up-stairs  and 
hid  among  large  boxes  where  the  Indians  were 
afraid  to  go.  When  he  understood  from  their 
talk  that  they  intended  to  set  fire  to  the  building, 
he  forced  his  way  through  the  roof  and ,  descend 
ing  to  the  ground  by  means  of  the  lightning  rod, 
escaped.  My  rick  saved  his  life  in  the  same  way. 

That  Agency  was  situated  on  the  high  and 
romantic  south  bank  of  the  Minnesota.  The  great 
stone  warehouse,  and  the  imposing  ruins  of  the 
large  Episcopal  church  which  had  been  erected 
from  funds  belonging  to  the  Indians,  leave  a  mel 
ancholy  impression  upon  the  passer-by.  Both 
were  built  of  heavy  stone.  North  of  the  Agency 
there  is  a  steep  incline  down  to  the  river  bottom. 
The  incline  is  traversed  by  ravines  and  covered 
with  trees  and  shrubbery.  On  the  south  end  of 
this  the  houses  of  the  Agency  were  built;  and  such 
as  had  a  chance  to  escape  found  refuge  in  this 
shrubbery  from  which  they  could  enter  the  forest, 
and,  in  twenty  minutes,  reach  the  river  where  there 
was  a  large  ferry-boat.  Some  Winnebago  Indians 
sent  their  arrows  after  the  flying  Myrick  without 
effect.  But  just  as  he  reached  the  woods  he  was 
shot  by  a  Sioux.  Myrick  was  found  dead  at  that 
place,  his  body  pierced  with  many  arrows  and  a 
scythe.  Many  of  the  whites  fell  at  the  first  attack, 
because  not  one  of  the  forty  or  fifty  men  at  the 
Agency  was  prepared  to  offer  any  resistance.  The 
traders,  who  had  a  great  deal  to  do  with  the  out- 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.       95 

break,  and  who  were  objects  of  most  intense 
hatred,  were  the  first  victims.  Joseph  Belland 
and  A.  Young  were  killed  near  Forbes'  place  of 
business;  Brusson  was  killed  in  Roberts'  store, 
and  La  Vatte,  a  trader,  and  his  clerk  were  killed 
in  his  own  store.  George  Spencer  escaped  death 
through  the  intercession  of  a  friendly  Indian  who 
commanded  his  would-be  assassins  to  depart. 
Bourat,  a  clerk  in  Forbes'  store,  ran  up-stairs;  but 
when  he  heard  the  Indians  say  that  they  wanted  to 
go  up  and  kill  him,  he  ran  down  with  incredible 
speed  and  escaped.  After  running  about  a  hun 
dred  yards  he  received  the  contents  of  a  shot-gun 
in  one  of  his  feet.  The  Indians  ran  up  to  him 
and  tore  every  vestige  of  clothing  from  his  body. 
Being  in  a  hurry,  they  rolled  a  heavy  log  upon 
him,  saying  that  they  would  soon  return  and  cut 
him  to  pieces.  He,  however,  managed  to  get  out 
from  under  the  log  and  escaped.  Many  saved 
their  lives  by  a  timely  and  lucky  flight  to  the  Min 
nesota.  But  as  soon  as  the  ferry-boat  reached  the 
opposite  bank  once  it  did  not  return,  and  many  of 
those  who  had  made  their  escape  thus  far  were 
shot  down  like  wild  beasts  by  the  relentless  Sioux, 
who  traversed  the  woods  in  all  directions.  Some 
even  escaped  on  the  ropes  of  the  ferry.  Amoog 
these  was  Joseph  Schneider,  a  brother  of  John 
Schneider  who  was  shot  near  Henle's  place. 

A  remarkable  but  difficult  and  painful  escape 
was  that  of  John  Fenske.  At  the  moment  when 
Wagner  and  Lamb  fell  dead  near  the  barn,  an 


96  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;  OR 

arrow  pierced  Fenske's  back.  Unable  to  run  far 
he  hid  in  a  hay-loft.  He  extracted  the  arrow  him 
self,  but  the  point  which  was  about  three  inches 
long  remained  in  the  wound,  causing  fearful  pain. 
When  he  noticed  from  his  hiding-place  that  no 
white  man  was  alive  on  the  Agency  and  that  the 
devouring  flames  were  approaching  nearer  and 
nearer  to  him,  he  came  down  from  the  loft,  and, 
wrapping  himself  in  a  blanket,  crept  away.  It 
was  about  4  P.  M.  The  Indians  were  too  busy 
with  plundering  to  notice  him.  Covered  with  the 
blanket,  and  the  way  in  which  he  was  compelled 
to  walk  on  account  of  his  excessive  pain,  gave  him 
the  appearance  of  a  squaw.  A  burning  house 
between  him  and  the  plundering  Indians  was 
another  circumstance  in  his  favor.  But  he  was 
obliged  to  fly  towards  the  prairie  where  he 
met  some  Indians  driving  cattle,  and  they  re 
quested  him  to  help  them.  These  took  him  for  a 
squaw.  He  reached  the  Big  Wabasha  River,  a  gath 
ering  place  for  the  Indians.  Following  the  bank  of 
that  river  he  expected  to  cross  the  Minnesota 
below  the  Agency  and  escaped  to  Fort  Ridgely,  to 
which  place  all  the  fugitives  directed  their  steps. 
Fenske  was,  however,  held  up  by  an  Indian  on 
horseback  who  shot  at  him  three  times  but  without 
effect.  The  superstitious  Indian  believed  him  to 
be  a  magician,  and,  stricken  with  fear,  he  hurried 
away  as  fast  as  his  pony  could  carry  him.  Fenske 
reached  Fort  Ridgely  only  on  the  fourth  day  on 
account  of  his  excessive  pain,  and  the  point  of  the 


CROW,  (TA-O-AH-TA-DOO-TA.) 


DATS   OF   HORROR   ON   THE   FRONTIER.  97 

arrow  was  removed.  He  recovered  and  was  after 
wards  City  Marshal  of  New  Ulm.  On  his  way  to 
the  Fort  he  entered  a  house,  hoping  to  find  some 
white  people  and  get  some  nourishment;  but  all 
had  fled,  leaving  a  kettle  with  meat  on  the  hearth. 
When  he  left  that  place  again  he  looked  around 
in  hopes  of  seeing  some  one,  and  he  noticed 
several  Indians  busily  engaged  in  plundering  a 
house  near  by.  He  also  noticed  that  Indians  had 
killed  a  heifer  close  to  where  he  stood.  It  did 
not  take  him  long  to  decide  upon  going  further. 

Anton  Manderfeld,  born  in  the  village  of  Man 
derfeld,  near  Cologne,  on  the  Rhine,  came  with 
his  numerous  relatives  to  New  Ulm  during  the 
fifties.  *  There  are  at  present  a  great  many  mem 
bers  of  the  Manderfeld  family  engaged  in  agri 
culture  throughout  the  Cottonwood  settlement, 
some  four  miles  southwest  of  New  Ulm. 

In  the  beginning  of  July,  1862,  Anton  Mander 
feld,  accompanied  by  his  .  brother  Henry,  his 
nephew  Hillias  and  George  Loth,  went  with  two 
ox-teams  and  a  large  amount  of  provisions  from 
New  Ulm  to  Big  Stone  Lake.  At  Beaver  Falls, 
some  forty  miles  from  New  Ulm,  they  took  John 
Schmerch,  sixteen  years  old,  along  as  cook.  They 


*  The  author  is  much  indebted  to  Mr.  Manderfeld  fora 
great  deal  of  valuable  information.  Having  for  many  years 
resided  at  the  agencies  he  was  intimately  acquainted  with 
the  successes  and  reverses  of  the  Indians,  and  also  with  the 
actions  of  the  agents  and  their  employes. 

5 


98  THE  INDIANS'  EEVENGE;   OR 

intended  to  work  for  the  Indians  at  Big  Stone 
Lake  under  agent  Galbraith. 

Manderfeld  had  a  fair  command  of  the  Indian 
language,  and,  after  his  arrival  at  Big  Stone  Lake, 
was  almost  daily  visited  by  a  half-breed  named 
Hypolite  Campbell.  About  two  weeks  before  the 
outbreak,  Campbell  arrived  at  the  tent  with  the 
information  that  the  Cut-heads,  a  cross-breed 
between  the  Yanktons  and  Sissetons,  (everywhere 
known  and  feared  as  dangerous  characters),  had 
entered  and  robbed  the  warehouse  at  Yellow 
Medicine,  and  had  expressed  their  intention  of 
murdering  all  the  whites.  When  Manderfeld  and 
his  friends  became  alarmed  and  wanted  to  leave 
the  place,  Campbell  said  he  would  quiet  the 
Indians  and  avert  all  danger  from  them.  The 
next  morning  the  Indians  came  towards  their 
camp.  Campbell  went  to  meet  them  and  gave 
them  a  sack  of  flour,  fifty  pounds  of  pork  and  ten 
pounds  of  sugar,  although  the  little  company  were 
themselves  sorely  in  need  of  the  provisions. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  the  21st  of  August,  an 
Indian  awoke  Manderfeld  and  his  companions, 
and  in  great  excitement  said :  ' '  Pokatshi  (go  away), 
the  Indians  will  kill  you.  From  Big  Stone  Lake 
to  New  Ulm  no  paleface  shall  be  spared."  His 
tent  was  located  in  the  woods  near  the  lake  shore. 
Manderfeld  jumped  up,  and,  looking  out  of  his 
tent,  noticed  in  the  distance  the  Indians  coming 
at  great  speed.  Hardly  had  he  informed  his 
friends  when  the  Indians  stood  before  the  tent. 


DAYS   OP   HORROR   ON   THE   FRONTIER.  99 

Near  by  was  a  little  pond.  He  ran  a  few  steps 
from  the  tent.  The  Indians  had  already  sur 
rounded  it,  keeping  their  guns  covered  with 
blankets  because  it  had  been  raining  during  the 
night.  He  stood  still  for  a  moment  listening  with 
great  fear  for  his  friends.  Then  one  of  the 
Indians  uncovered  his  gun  and  fired  at  him;  but 
he  had  presence  of  mind  enough  to  jump  into  the 
pond,  and  thus  escaped.  The  Indian  missed  him 
but  hit  the  tree  near  which  he  was  standing. 
Since  no  one  followed  him  he  was  curious  enough 
to  turn  back,  and,  creeping  up  a  steep  incline, 
looked  towards  the  tent.  He  saw  his  brother 
run  away  from  it  and  drop  dead.  He  then  heard 
a  second  and  a  third  shot  and  a  piercing  cry, 
probably  from  the  dying  cook.  He  now  fled  in 
great  haste  into  the  forest,  but  soon  found  him 
self  on  the  prairie  again,  the  woods  being  only 
half  a  mile  wide.  He  stood  still  for  a  moment, 
not  knowing  what  to  do.  He  knew  the  country 
and  could  see  no  way  of  safety,  there  being 
Indian  tepees  everywhere.  But  he  ran  along  the 
lake  shore  for  about  half  a  mile  and  there  met  his 
nephew  who  had  made  his  escape.  They  hurriedly 
planned  their  flight.  Manderfeld  was  in  favor  of 
hiding  in  the  tall  grass  on  the  shore,  and  told  his 
nephew  that  they  had  no  other  way  of  escape. 
Hardly  had  he  said  this  when  they  noticed  a 
canoe  coming  towards  them.  Manderfeld  begged 
his  nephew  to  lie  down  in  the  grass  and  hide  him 
self,  but  he  was  so  frightened  that  he  did  not 


100  THE    INDIANS*   REVENGE;     OR 

know  what  he  was  doing  and  began  to  run  away. 
Ten  minutes  passed,  and  Manderfeld,  who  was 
lying  concealed  in  the  grass,  heard  a  few  fearful 
yells  and  three  shots  in  succession.  At  that 
moment  the  nephew  was  probably  breathing  his 
last. 

Manderfeld  got  safely  away  from  the  Indians,  who 
were  looking  for  him  in  the  grass  and  at  times 
came  very  close  to  him.  He  fled  that  night  and 
reached  the  Minnesota  River,  north  of  Big  Stone 
Lake,  next  morning  at  the  break  of  day.  From 
there  he  had  to  go  at  least  sixty  or  seventy  miles 
to  the  nearest  settlement.  Hungry,  half  naked, 
and  with  bleeding  feet  he  reached  the  house  of 
a  half-breed  named  Launche,  near  Lac  qui  Parle, 
with  whom  he  was  well  acquainted.  There  he 
learned  from  La  Fromboise,  another  half  breed, 
that  the  Indians  were  killing  all  the  settlers  below 
the  River  and  that  New  Ulm  was  probably  taken. 
He  had  something  to  eat  and  begged  for  protec 
tion;  but  the  half-breeds  told  him  he  had  to  leave, 
for  if  the  Indians  found  a  white  man  with  them 
they  would  all  have  to  die.  They  gave  him  a  pair 
of  moccasins  to  make  it  possible  for  him  to  walk, 
and  he  left  the  place  immediately. 

Having  a  strange  country  to  traverse,  and  trying 
to  avoid  meeting  with  Indians,  he  often  had  to 
walk  for  hours  and  then  find  himself  at  the  same 
place  from  which  he  started.  Ten  days  after  he 
left  the  half-breeds  he  found  General  Sibley  near 
Fort  Ridgely,  and  was  safe.  But  he  was  not  the 


DAYS   OF   HORROR   ON   iH3   FHOtiHEE.  101 


same  man  he  had  been  ten  days  before.  Naked 
ness,  hunger,  thirst,  cold,  fear  and  sleepless  nights 
worked  terrible  changes  upon  him.  Most  of  this 
trip  was  made  at  night  for  fear  of  being  detected 
by  the  Indians  during  the  daytime.  Mr.  Mander- 
feld  now  lives  with  his  family  near  New  Ulm. 

The  report  of  the  outbreak  on  the  18th  of  August 
had  reached  Fort  Eidgely  at  9  p.  M.  of  the  same 
day.  Captain  John  S.  Marsh  immediately  dis 
patched  a  courier  after  a  company  of  soldiers  who 
had  left  the  Fort  early  in  the  morning  under  Lieu 
tenant  Shehan  to  go  to  Fort  Eipley  on  the  Upper 
Mississippi.  Another  detachment  of  about  fifty 
who  were  on  their  way  to  Fort  Snelling  were  hur 
riedly  called  back,  there  being  left  in  the  Fort  only 
one  company  of  about  eighty  men.  This  was 
Company  B,  of  the  Fifth  Minnesota  Volunteers. 

Expecting  that  both  detachments  could  be  over 
taken  in  time,  and  intending  to  frighten  the  Indians 
on  the  scene  of  their  first  cruelties,  Captain  Marsh 
left  the  Fort  with  forty-six  men,  accompanied  by 
interpreter  Quinn,  and  hurried  towards  the  Agency 
a  distance  of  about  twelve  miles.  Not  far  from 
the  Agency  they  had  to  march  up  the  Minnesota 
on  the  north  side  to  reach  the  ferry  belonging  to 
one  Martell,  on  which  they  expected  to  cross  the 
river .  Martell  met  the  detachment  below  the  ferry 
and  told  them  the  best  thing  they  could  do  would 
be  to  return  to  the  Fort  as  quick  as  possible, 
because  the  Indians  were  roaming  about  in  large 
numbers,  killing  and  burning  everything  in  their 


102  TEE  INDIANS'  REVENGE  ;   OR 

way.  The  heroic  Captain  Marsh  would  not  listen 
to  any  such  advice,  because  he  thought  it  was  his 
duty  to  protect  the  helpless  settlers,  which  he  was 
well  able  to  do. 

Being  near  the  scene  of  so  much  bloodshed, 
many  of  the  soldiers  were  now  struck  with  a 
strange  and  sudden  fear.  And  this  fear  was  still 
more  increased  on  going  up  towards  the  ferry  and 
finding  corpses  there  frightfully  mutilated.  On 
reaching  the  house  of  Martell  the  soldiers  were 
placed  in  two  lines.  Some  of  them  were  ordered 
to  go  down  to  the  river  and  see  whether  the  ferry 
was  in  order.  A  favorable  report  having  being 
brought  back,  the  soldiers  refreshed  themselves 
by  drinking  of  the  water  that  was  brought  to  them 
from  the  river.  Poor  men!  This  was  to  be  their 
last  refreshment,  and  their  presentiment  was  soon 
to  be  realized. 

By  this  time  an  Indian  was  seen  on  the  other 
bank  of  the  river,  who  said  there  was  no  danger, 
and  they  could  come  over.  Probably  the  Indians 
judged  from  the  actions  of  the  soldiers  that  they 
were  undecided  what  to  do  and  might  not  cross  the 
river,  whilst  they  were  lying  concealed  in  the 
grass,  only  wishing  and  waiting  for  them  to  board 
the  ferry  all  together.  Interpreter  Quinn  was 
leaning  against  Martell's  house.  Captain  Marsh, 
who  was  riding  a  mule  and  was  only  a  few  steps 
away  from  Quinn,  suspecting  something,  com 
manded  the  soldiers  not  to  leave  the  place  until  he 
could  ascertain  whether  there  were  any  Indians 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.       103 

hiding  themselves  near  by.  No  doubt,  this  com 
mand  was  understood  by  some  of  the  Indians, 
especially  by  Chief  Little  Crow,  who  was  quite 
near,  and  he  at  once  gave  a  sign  to  open  fire  on 
the  soldiers.  In  a  short  but  terrible  moment  one- 
half  of  the  soldiers  fell  to  the  ground  dead  or 
wounded.  Captain  Marsh  lost  his  mule,  but 
Quinn  was  pierced  by  about  twenty  bullets  and  an 
arrow.  The  remaining  soldiers  fired  at  the  In 
dians,  but  they  managed  to  hide  so  well  that  only 
one  was  killed  and  five  were  wounded.  The  Cap 
tain  fled  with  only  nine  men  about  two  miles  down 
the  Minnesota,  where  he  noticed  that  the  Indians 
were  trying  to  cut  them  off  from  the  Fort,  He 
could  not  see  any  other  way  of  escape  than  the 
other  side  of  the  river,  and  with  his  few  men  tried 
to  ford  it,  defending  himself  as  best  he  could 
with  a  sword  in  one  hand  and  a  revolver  in  the 
other.  Coming  to  where  the  river  was  deep  he 
began  to  sink.  When  his  faithful  men  came  to 
assist  him  they  noticed  that  he  was  shot,  and  the 
brave  captain  disappeared  under  the  waters.  The 
nine  soldiers  reached  the  Fort  safe.  Twenty-four 
of  their  companions  were  lying  dead  on  the  field; 
the  deadly  bullet  and  the  fearful  tomahawk  and 
scalping-knife  had  done  their  terrible  work.  Only 
a  few  of  them  hid  in  the  grass  till  they  could  get  a 
chance  to  escape. 

The  worst  fate  was  that  of  the  wounded  who  fell 
into  the  hands  of  the  savages,  and  who  were  made 


104  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;   OR 

to  suffer  all  manner  of  cruelties  and  tortures  until 
death  released  them. 

Nine  of  the  Winnebago  Indians  took  part  in  this 
outbreak;  and  "  Little  Priest"  himself,  one  of  the 
most  prominent  chiefs,  shot  at  the  soldiers.  The 
most  horrible  cruelties  of  that  day  may  be  ascribed 
to  the  so-called  civilized  or  Christian  Indians,  be 
cause  they  wanted  thereby  to  remove  from  them 
selves  every  suspicion  that  they  were  in  any  way 
in  sympathy  with  the  palefaces. 

On  the  same  day  the  Indians  sent  messengers  to 
the  tribes  of  the  Upper  Agency,  who  at  first  did 
not  want  to  believe  the  report.  But  when  other 
messengers  arrived  and  confirmed  the  statement, 
they  immediately  held  a  council  meeting.  It  was 
agreed  that  it  was  well  to  fight  the  palefaces,  but 
they  did  not  all  thirst  alike  after  the  blood  of  the 
whites.  Some  of  them  were  in  favor  of  extermi 
nation.  Chief  Other  Day,  a  civilized  Indian,  op 
posed  this.  "  It  is  true,"  he  said,  "  you  can  easily 
put  to  death  a  few  defenceless  whites — perhaps 
five,  ten,  or  even  a  hundred.  But  what  if  your 
whole  country  be  filled  with  soldiers,  and  no 
hope  left  to  you  but  an  uncertain  flight?  Some  of 
you  think  you  have  horses;  but  what  will  become 
of  those  who  have  no  horses  ?  " 

Meanwhile  another  messenger  arrived  with  the 
news  of  the  attack  at  the  ferry.  The  council  broke 
up  immediately,  and  the  Yanktons,  Sissetons  and 
some  "Wahpetons  hurried  to  the  homes  of  the  set- 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.       105 

tiers  to  attack  them.  Other  Day,  one  of  the 
noblest  of  the  chiefs,  led  his  wife  by  the  hand, 
and,  with  his  gun  on  his  shoulder,  went  quickly  to 
the  settlers  to  give  them  timely  warning.  He  suc 
ceeded  in  bringing  some  sixty  persons  into  the 
warehouse,  and  he  and  four  of  his  relatives  stood 
guard  before  it  during  all  the  night.  Next  morn 
ing,  when  the  Indians  were  in  the  act  of  attack 
ing  and  plundering  Garvi's  store,  the  daring  chief 
managed  to  bring  his  proteges,  twenty  men  and 
forty- two  women  and  children,  across  the  river 
without  being  noticed  by  the  warriors.  They  were 
now  out  of  immediate  danger,  and  they  fled  into 
the  neighboring  settlements.  Other  Day  became 
thereafter  an  object  of  intense  hatred  to  his  own 
people,  and  his  life  was  in  danger  on  account  of 
his  friendship  for  the  settlers.  He  was  married 
to  a  white  woman. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


Massacre  continued. — Theresa  Henle's  Account.— Death  of 
Benedict  Drexler. — Mrs.  Henle  saved. — Twenty-one  of 
one  Family  Massacred. — Massapust's  Tragic  End. — A 
Sick  Woman  shot  in  Bed.— Blood-thirstiness  of  the 
Indians.— Panic  among  the  Settlers. — A  Number  of 
Fugitives. — Means  of  Defending  New  Ulm. — Com 
mander  Jacob  Nix. — Sheriff  Charles  Roos. — Living  and 
Dead  brought  to  Town. — Arms. — A  Scythe  and  Pitch 
fork  Company. — New  Ulm  Barricaded. — More  Fugitives 
brought  in. 

FROM  the  Agency  the  bloody  demon  sent  the 
Indians  all  around  into  the  homes  of  the 
whites,  carrying  with  them  terror  and  death. 
The  settlers  living  far  apart  and  having  no  know 
ledge  of  the  approaching  danger  were  killed  with 
out  even  a  witness  to  report  their  sad  end.  Only 
a  few  managed  to  escape,  and  from  some  hiding- 
place  witnessed  the  assassination  of  their  friends 
and  relatives.  Mrs.  Theresa  Henle,  wife  of  Anton 
Henle,  into  whose  house  the  citizens  of  New  Ulm 
intended  to  go  when  they  were  attacked  on  their 
way,  tells  the  following  story : 

1 '  My  husband,  Anton,  went  to  New  Ulm  on  the 
18th  of  August,  intending  to  return  soon  to  haul 
in  some  wheat,  because  it  was  a  very  fine  day. 
Besides  running  a  farm  we  kept  a  sort  of  stop 
ping-place  for  travelers.  A  Frenchman  who  had 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.       107 

remained  over  night  left  our  house  at  9  o'clock, 
intending  to  go  to  the  Lower  Agency,  a  distance  of 
about  twenty  miles.  Several  men  who  were  haul 
ing  freight  for  him  to  that  place  had  left  our  house 
earlier.  Nothing  extraordinary  happened  except 
that  at  about  10  o'clock,  the  Frenchman  returned 
and  drove  towards  New  Ulm  as  fast  as  he  could. 
It  was  very  strange  to  see  him  thus  pass  our  place 
without  even  a  single  look  towards  it,  since  he 
was  never  known  to  pass  without  calling  in. 
Towards  noon  I  went  to  my  mother,  who  lived 
near  us,  to  get  some  lettuce.  On  returning  home 
I  noticed  three  naked  Indians,  and  went  back  to 
warn  my  mother.  I  found  her  in  the  garden.  As 
soon  as  I  approached  her  she  was  shot,  and,  fall 
ing  down,  she  cried  aloud:  '  O  Theresa!'  Seized 
with  terror  I  ran  towards  my  house,  fearing  for  my 
children.  I  found  three  Indians  in  the  house. 
One  of  them  jumped  at  me,  but  I  ran  down  the 
incline  into  the  woods  which  was  only  a  little  way 
off.  There  I  stood  for  a  while  not  knowing  what 
to  do.  I  understood  now  why  the  Frenchman 
had  returned  in  such  haste.  Filled  with  a  desire 
to  save  at  least  my  baby,  I  went  back  towards  the 
house,  but  noticed  too  many  Indians  around  to  be 
able  to  do  anything.  I  then  went  to  a  neighbor's, 
Benedict  Drexler,  whose  house  was  about  thirty 
rods  from  ours.  I  went  in  through  the  window, 
and  found  no  one  at  home.  Later  on,  Drexler 
was  fotmd  beheaded  in  the  field.  His  wife  and 
children  were  in  the  corn-field.  The  Indians  shot 


108  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;   OR 

at  her  but  she  fled.  When  I  heard  the  shooting 
I  ran  into  the  woods  in  order  to  get  back  to 
mother,  but  saw  a  large  number  of  Indians  who 
were  putting  up  a  red  and  white  flag.  I  turned 
back  again  into  the  woods  and  remained  in  the 
dry  bed  of  a  creek,  from  which  place  I  could  hear 
the  rattling  of  the  wagons  coming  from  New  Ulm, 
and  also  the  shots  that  were  fired  at  them  by  the 
Indians,  because  I  was  hardly  five  hundred  steps 
from  the  place  where  the  Indians  wrere  lying  in 
ambush.  I  remained  there,  tortured  with  the 
most  terrible  thoughts  about  my  husband  and 
children,  which  troubled  me  more  than  my  own 
misery.  Whilst  sitting  there,  neglected  and  for 
lorn,  my  two  dogs  came  up  to  me  trembling. 
Towards  evening  I  heard  the  voice  of  my  husband 
in  the  direction  of  the  house  calling  me,  and  I 
came  forth  from  my  hiding-place." 

Anton  Henle  also  wanted  to  get  to  his  place 
with  the  recruiting  party,  but  he  had  to  return  to 
New  Ulm,  as  has  been  related.  When,  towards 
evening,  a  volunteer  company  which  had  been 
organized  in  a  hurry  at  New  Ulm  went  out  to  pro 
tect  and  assist  the  settlers,  Henle  was  among 
them.  He  did  not  expect  to  find  a  member  of 
his  family  alive.  In  his  house  there  reigned  the 
silence  of  death,  and  nothing  but  destruction  was 
visible.  What  joy  must  have  filled  his  heart  when 
he  heard  the  voice  of  his  wife  in  response  to  his 
pitiful  cries!  One  of  his  children,  a  girl  of  four, 
they  found  dead,  and  a  servant-girl  of  eighteen, 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.      109 

beheaded.  A  child,  eight  years  old,  who  had  been 
with  its  grandmother,  was  found  dead  without  any 
wound;  the  child  probably  died  from  fright. 
One  of  his  boys,  Martin,  a  lad  of  twelve,  was 
found  by  Conrad  Zeller.  He  had  seventeen 
wounds  upon  his  body  but  was  still  alive.  He 
died  two  weeks  later. 

The  boy  related  that  when  he  was  running  away 
a  mounted  Indian  kept  galloping  at  his  side, 
striking  him  with  a  tomahawk,  until  at  last,  being 
completely  exhausted  by  pain  and  loss  of  blood, 
he  fell  to  the  ground;  and  the  Indian,  believing 
him  to  be  dead,  rode  away. 

The  number  of  Henle's  relatives  killed  on  that 
day  amounted  to  twenty-one.  Among  them  were: 
Martin  Fink  and  his  wife  Monica;  Max  Fink  and 
his  nephew,  and  Martin  Merkle  (Max  Fink  was 
Athanasius  Henle's  father-in-law);  Max  Zeller  and 
his  wife  Lucre tia,  daughter  of  Martin  Fink,  and 
their  four  children;  John  and  Barbara  Zettel  and 
their  four  children,  (Barbara  Zettel  was  a  sister  of 
Lucretia  Zeller);  Anton  and  Mary  £nne  Messmer; 
Anton  Henle's  children,  Martin,  Anton  and  Mary. 
Finally,  Florian  Hartman,  brother-in-law  of  the 
Henle's.  Hartman  came  from  Voralberg,  Zettel 
from  Mittel-Biberach,  and  all  the  others  from 
Erbach  in  Wurtemberg.  Hardly  have  there  ever 
been  so  many  members  of  one  family  so  cruelly 
massacred  on  one  and  the  same  day,  and  their 
names  deserve  to  be  handed  down  in  the  history 
of  New  Ulm. 


110  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;   on 

The  German  family  of  Massapust,  immigrants 
from  Bohemia,  met  with  a  sad  death  on  the  same 
day.  Father,  mother  and  two  daughters  were 
massacred  in  a  most  cruel  manner,  the  two  latter 
having  suffered  the  most  horrible  and  shame 
ful  outrages  at  the  hands  of  the  Indian  warriors. 
Only  one  boy  eight  years  old  fled  and  was  saved. 
According  to  report,  he  was  murdered  by  the  Sioux 
several  years  afterwards,  having  killed  a  number  of 
Indians,  which  he  had  vowed  to  do  as  an  act  of 
revenge  for  the  death  of  his  family.  Massapust's 
house  was  located  near  Henle's  place,  eight  miles 
from  New  Ulm. 

Caroline,  wife  of  Joseph  Stocker,  nee  Zicher, 
likewise  from  Erbach,  Wurtemberg,  was  lying  sick 
when  the  Indians  reached  her  house.  She  had 
always  been  kind  to  them,  and  properly  thought 
that  they  might  spare  her.  But,  no;  she  was 
unmercifully  shot  in  her  bed,  and  her  body  burnt 
with  the  house.  Her  husband  fled  with  the  ten- 
year-old  Caecilia  Ochs  into  the  cellar.  The 
Indians  fastened  the  door  and  set  the  house  on 
fire.  In  their  despair  the  two  prisoners  opened 
with  a  shingle  a  place  under  the  sill  of  the  burn 
ing  building  and  escaped  into  the  woods  without 
being  noticed  by  the  savages. 

Florian  Hartman  and  one  Eohner,  a  Swiss,  who 
was  working  for  him,  were  shot  in' the  field  on  the 
same  day.  The  mother  of  Carl  Pelzl,  the  parents 
of  Louis  Thilling  and  one  Haag,  were  also  killed 
in  the  same  neighborhood.  Pelzl's  father  was 


DAYS    OF   HORROR    ON   THE    FRONTIER.  Ill 

seriously  wounded  and  died  later.  All  these 
families  lived  in  the  same  district,  six  to  eight 
miles  northwest  of  New  Ulm.  Only  a  few  from 
that  settlement  made  their  escape.  Among  these 
were  Athanasius  Henle,  who  had  received  timely 
warning  and  fled  with  his  wife  and  children  on 
horseback  through  the  woods  and  across  the 
Minnesota  river.  The  families  of  Casimir  and 
Ochs,  and  Conrad  Zeller,  also  escaped. 

The  beginning  of  the  massacre  was  made  at 
Massapust's,  their  house  being  located  on  the  road 
between  New  Ulm  and  the  Lower  Agency,  and  was 
first  reached  by  the  Indians  who  came  from  there. 
Like  blood-thirsty  tigers  they  soon  covered  the 
whole  settlement,  so  that  the  attack  upon  the  dif 
ferent  families  happened  almost  at  the  same  time, 
and  one  neighbor  could  not  warn  the  other. 
Many  of  them  had  so  little  fear  of  an  outbreak 
that  they  hesitated  to  believe  the  report  even  when 
it  was  confirmed  by  the  smoke  of  burning  build 
ings.  The  settlements  not  touching  this  road 
were  more  fortunate.  Such  was  the  so-called 
Luxemburg  settlement,  some  four  miles  south  of 
Henle's  place,  and  the  Cottonwood  settlement 
south  of  New  Ulm,  to  whom  fugitives  brought 
timely  warning. 

The  panic  among  the  settlers,  their  helplessness, 
fright  and  despair  cannot  be  described.  The 
prairie  was  covered  with  men  on  horseback,  carry 
ing  the  terrible  news  from  house  to  house,  and 
cries  of  fear  and  woe  were  rending  the  air.  The 


112  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;   OR 

roost  necessary  articles  of  furniture  that  could  be 
easily  carried  were  picked  up,  and  the  dear  home 
was  deserted,  and  everybody  hurried  to  the  town 
of  New  Ulm,  their  eyes  continually  wandering 
over  the  prairies  in  quest  of  the  dreadful  enemy. 
Some  did  not  even  take  time  to  get  their  teams  or 
anything  else  in  order.  Others,  intent  only  upon 
saving  their  lives,  fled  as  soon  as  they  heard  the 
rifle  shots  and  saw  columns  of  fire. 

Towards  the  evening  of  August  18th,  a  perfect 
stream  of  fugitives  began  to  pour  into  New  Ulm. 
The  excitement  was  greatly  increased  at  the  sight 
of  the  mutilated  bodies  that  were  brought  into 
town  from  Milford  (Henle's  settlement).  There 
could  be  no  longer  any  doubt  about  the  approach 
ing  danger.  The  cry:  "  Fly,  for  the  Indians  have 
gone  on  the  war-path  !"  now  had  a  terrible  meaning 
to  the  minds  of  the  settlers.  New  Ulm,  Fort 
Ridgely,  and,  further  down,  Mankato  and  St.  Peter 
were  the  desired  places  of  refuge  for  the  settlers. 
Since  Fort  Ridgely  was  soon  surrounded  by  the 
Indians,  and  Mankato  and  St.  Peter  were  too  dis 
tant  (these  places  lie  from  twenty-eight  to  thirty 
miles  east),  New  Ulm  had  to  shelter  most  of  the 
fugitives. 

At  2  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  August  18th, 
Jacob  Nix  reached  Pfaender's  place  on  the  road 
from  Fort  Bidgely  to  New  Ulm,  where  he  notified 
the  wife  and  children  of  the  outbreak.  Pfaender 
was  at  that  time  amid  the  scenes  of  war  in  the 
South.  They  would  not  believe  the  report  until 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.       113 

Nix  began  to  put  the  children  and  some  bedding 
into  his  wagon,  assuring  the  poor  woman  that  the 
Indians  might  be  upon  them  at  any  moment. 
Having  a  good  team  of  horses  he  soon  reached 
town  with  his  charge.  Approaching  New  Ulm, 
where  the  outbreak  had  been  reported  a  few  hours 
previous,  he  mistook  one  of  the  out-lying  pickets 
for  an  Indian,  and  in  his  excitement  was  about  to 
open  fire  on  him  when  he  discovered  that  it  was  a 
friend  of  his  named  Rudolph. 

When  he  arrived  in  town  he  found  the  citizens 
organizing  a  volunteer  company,  for  which  pur 
pose  one  Ezeigowitz,  formerly  an  Austrian  sol 
dier,  placed  fifty  men  in  line  in  front  of  the 
Dakota  House.  As  soon  as  Nix*  made  his  ap 
pearance  he  was  unanimously  elected  commander 
of  the  company.  He  was  known  as  an  old  soldier 
who  had  been  through  a  war  in  Algiers,  and  had 
at  one  time  been  captain  of  a  company  during  a 
revolution.  Sheriff  Roos  administered  the  formal 
oath.  A  few  days  later,  however,  Ch.  E.  Flan- 
dreau  took  command.  But  Sheriff  Roos  believed 
the  murders  to  have  been  committed  by  a  few 
drunken  Indians;  and  consequently  it  would  be 
his  duty  as  Sheriff  to  imprison  the  offenders. 
Accompanied  by  twenty-five  men  he  immediately 
started  out  towards  the  scene  of  the  massacre, 
six  miles  from  town.  When  they  saw  the  dead 


*  Jacob  Nix  is  from  the  village  of  Bingen-on-the-Rhiue. 
He  was  later  a  captain  uuder  Sully  in  one  of  the  Indian 
wars  in  the  west.  He  still  resides  in  New  Ulm. 


114  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;   OB 

bodies  covered  with  blood  and  terribly  mutilated, 
and  being  themselves  attacked  by  some  of  the 
Indians  from  a  distance,  they  changed  their  minds 
and  believed  it  to  be  a  real  outbreak.  Then  they 
began  to  look  for  and  gather  the  dead  and 
wounded,  and  carried  them  to  New  Ulm.  So  far, 
the  Sheriff's  erroneous  idea  about  the  matter  served 
a  good  purpose.  When  the  wagons  carrying  the 
wounded  and  the  dead  reached  New  Ulm,  the 
excitement  among  the  people  also  reached  its 
climax.  Considering  the  state  of  affairs  as  they 
then  stood,  it  could  easily  be  seen  that  the  worst 
was  yet  to  come.  Many  wanted  to  leave  town 
immediately,  others  thought  differently.  These 
did  not  want  to  give  up  their  homes  so  easily,  and 
it  was  to  be  expected  that  many  more  people  from 
the  country  would  seek  refuge  in  town.  Their 
means  for  defending  the  town  against  an  attack 
were,  however,  very  poor.  Still  they  could  more 
easily  defend  themselves  behind  barricades  in 
town  than  on  the  open  prairie;  and  if  they  would 
try  to  go  St.  Peter  or  Mankato,  a  distance  of  about 
thirty  miles,  they  would  most  likely  be  attacked 
by  the  Indians  on  the  way. 

It  was  now  Monday  evening,  and  strict  orders 
were  given  to  provide  all  possible  means  of 
defense.  Fugitives  were  captured  and  brought 
back.  They  began  to  throw  up  a  breast-work, 
and  sent  Henry  Bohnke  and  Schwerdtfeger  as 
couriers  to  St.  Peter  and  Mankato,  asking  for 
immediate  assistance.  These  preparations  infused 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.      115 

courage  and  hope  into  the  fearfully-excited  minds 
of  the  people,  although  they  did  not  have  more 
than  fifty  guns  for  defense.  Many  of  these  were 
old,  rusty  and  useless  concerns,  such  as  peaceful 
settlers  keep  at  their  homes  more  for  ornament 
than  for  use.  There  were  only  twelve  rifles,  and 
the  fate  of  two  thousand  persons  was  depending 
upon  them.  In  their  extreme  need  they  looked 
for  other  means  of  defense.  Anything  that  might 
serve  to  frighten  the  enemy  was  considered  good 
for  the  purpose.  Here  could  be  seen  (what  one 
would  look  for  in  vain  among  a  regular  militia), 
several  companies  armed  with  axes,  scythes  and 
pitchforks. 

On  account  of  the  residences  in  New  Ulm  being 
far  apart,  except  those  on  Minnesota  street,  which 
was  then  the  main  street  of  the  city,  they  had  to 
limit  their  fortifications  to  about  four  blocks. 
There  were  only  three  brick  houses  in  New  Ulm 
at  the  time.  They  belonged  to  Forster,  Flick  and 
Erd,  respectively,  and  were  chosen  as  places  of 
refuge  for  the  women  and  children,  and  included 
in  the  fortified  section  of  the  town.  Wettendorf 
also  had  a  brick  house;  but  it  was  too  far  out  to 
serve  any  good  purpose.  The  work  of  building 
fortifications  went  on  during  the  whole  night, 
from  the  18th  to  the  19th  of  August.  Old  wagons, 
barrels,  logs,  fuel,  etc.,  were  used  in  building  a 
barricade.  Women  and  children  were  engaged  in 
casting  bullets.  The  anxious  labors  of  the  citi 
zens  of  New  Ulm  during  those  eventful  hours,  the 


116  THE  INDIANS'  BEVENGE;  OB 

necessary  fires  that  were  kept  up,  the  numerous 
pickets  that  had  been  sent  out,  the  coming  in  of 
fugitives,  all  telling  different  but  equally  sad 
stories,  must  have  made  a  weird  impression  upon 
those  peaceful  settlers  who  were  far  from  being 
accustomed  to  such  scenes  as  these. 


CHAPTEK  X. 


August  19th. — Indians  Besiege  the  Town.— To  the  Barri 
cades  ! — Reinforcements. — Rain  at  the  Right  Time.  — 
Daring  Americans:  Many  lose  their  Lives. — Sad  Hearts 
in  Town. — New  Reinforcements  at  Midnight. — Captain 
Flandreau. — The  Morning  after  a  Restless  Night. 

ON  Tuesday  morning,  August  19th,  the  people 
began  to  breathe  easier.  A  night  of  anxiety 
and  care,  during  which  they  expected  a  cruel  and 
unmerciful  enemy  to  fall  upon  them  at  any 
moment,  had  now  passed  away.  At  the  break  of 
day  H.  Brockman,  a  surveyor,  placed  himself  on 
the  flat  roof  of  Erd's  residence,  and  by  means  of  a 
telescope  examined  the  country  around  New  Ulm. 
About  11  o'clock  families  arriving  from  the  Cot- 
tonwood  settlement  reported  that  the  Indians  were 
beginning  to  cut  the  fugitives  off  from  New  Ulm. 
In  order  to  assist  these,  one  Spencer  was  sent  out 
with  twelve  men  armed  with  rifles;  and  fourteen 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.      117 

others  were  sent  out  under  one  Prunk,  armed 
with  double-barrelled  shotguns.  The  latter  re 
turned  with  a  large  number  of  fugitives  from  the 
Cottonwood  settlement.  The  first  party  that  went 
out  did  not  return;  they  had  gone  on  too  far. 
Their  absence  caused  great  uneasiness,  because 
they  had  taken  with  them  the  only  good  arms 
that  New  Ulm  had. 

Meanwhile  Mr,  Swift,  since  then  Governor  of 
Minnesota,  came  to  town  from  St.  Paul,  with  five 
others,  on  business.  According  to  the  custom  of 
those  days  they  were  well  armed  and  provided 
with  excellent  rifles.  No  sooner  had  they  learned 
the  state  of  affairs  than  they  wanted  to  turn  back; 
but  they  were  finally  persuaded  by  Captain  Nix 
to  remain. 

About  3  P.  M.  Brockman  gave  information  that 
in  the  direction  of  the  Agency,  near  Hoffman's 
farm,  Indians  could  be  seen  riding  out  on  the  open 
prairie.  Excitement  and  terrible  fear  now  reigned 
supreme  once  more.  The  Indians  came  from  a 
northwesterly  direction  towards  New  Ulm,  from 
the  side  where  the  cemeteries  are  now  located. 
They  kept  close  together  as  they  came  on  their 
ponies;  but  when  within  a  short  distance  from 
town  they  separated,  and  in  a  few  moments  the 
place  was  surrounded.  This  scene  was  well  cal 
culated  to  strike  terror  into  the  hearts  of  the 
people.  The  Indians  were  almost  naked,  covered 
only  with  their  hideous  war-paint.  Every  move 
ment  indicated  their  savage  thirst  for  blood. 


118  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;  OR 

They  filled  the  air  with  barbarous  yells,  and  boldly 
challenged  the  white  man,  the  representative  of 
culture  and  civilization,  to  a  fight.  What  a  sight 
for  a  poor,  helpless  people  to  behold!  Woe  to  the 
white  man  who  fell  into  the  hands  of  so  terrible 
a  foe! 

Captain  Nix  immediately  ordered  his  men  to 
the  barricades.  At  first  he  could  gather  only 
twenty  men,  and  but  six  of  these  had  the  courage 
to  fall  into  line.  The  Indians  had  approached, 
and,  throwing  themselves  upon  the  ground,  com 
menced  firing,  which  made  sad  havoc  among  the 
defenders.  Against  their  magnificent  rifles  the 
arms  of  the  settlers  were  a  mere  nothing.  Cap 
tain  Nix  received  a  bullet  in  the  right  hand  which 
shattered  one  of  his  fingers.  The  fourteen-year- 
old  daughter  of  one  Pauly,  who,  out  of  curiosity, 
had  left  Erd's  residence  to  see  the  beginning  of 
the  fight,  was  hit  by  this  same  bullet,  which 
entered  her  forehead  and  killed  her  instantly. 

Spencer's  detachment  very  fortunately  returned 
at  the  beginning  of  the  fight.  They  brought  with 
them  many  fugitives,  and,  united  together,  they 
forced  their  way  into  town.  The  fight  lasted 
about  two  hours.  The  Indians  numbered  several 
hundred.  But  these  seemed  to  have  been  only 
the  advance  guard  of  the  army,  who  boldly 
attempted  to  take  and  plunder  the  town  before  the 
others  could  arrive.  Three  houses  were  set  on  fire 
during  the  attack,  of  which  Bellin's  residence  was 
the  first.  A  heavy  rain  was  pouring  down,  and 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.       119 

this  had  a  great  deal  to  do  with  the  saving  of  the 
town.  Frederic  Penser  received  a  wound  on  his 
neck  from  the  effects  of  which  he  was  a  constant 
sufferer  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  in  May,  1876. 
He  left  a  large  family. 

As  soon  as  the  fight  was  over  and  the  Indians 
had  retreated,  the  first  reinforcements  arrived 
from  St.  Peter,  consisting  of  twenty-five  horsemen 
under  the  command  of  Boardman.  The  proposal 
of  Captain  Nix  that  these  twenty-five  men  should 
pursue  the  Indians  was  not  accepted. 

The  same  day  several  citizens  met  with  a  very 
sad  death.  Under  various  pretexts  they  left  New 
Ulm  in  the  morning.  Over  a  dozen  armed  men, 
among  whom  were  Carroll,  Tuttle,  Thomas, 
Loomis  Bros.,  Ives,  Kirby,  Coon,  Lemon,  Lamb 
and  Hinton,  left  New  Ulm.  Neither  the  advice  of 
their  friends  nor  the  fact  that  the  defense  of  the 
town  was  thereby  considerably  weakened  could 
prevent  them  from  leaving.  Moreover,  they  be 
lieved  they  were  well  able  to  defend  themselves 
against  a  considerable  number  of  Indians.  Their 
homes  were  west  of  New  Ulm,  near  Iberia,  on  the 
Cottonwood,  and  they  wanted  to  go  there  to  save 
their  friends  and  the  families  they  had  left 
behind.  Some  of  them  had  come  to  New  Ulm  on 
business,  not  being  aware  of  the  outbreak.  Partly 
out  of  curiosity,  and  partly  with  the  intention  of 
warning  the  settlers,  they  entered  several  houses 
on  their  way.  Everywhere  they  went  they  found 
the  bodies  of  the  dead.  Here  and  there  they  dis- 


120  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;  OB 

covered  children,  many  of  whom  were  wounded; 
and  these  they  took  with  them.  When  they 
reached  their  homes  they  found  neither  Indians 
nor  whites.  On  their  way  back  to  New  Ulm  they 
separated,  some  going  south  and  others  north  of 
the  Cotton  wood,  towards  town,  in  order  to  discover 
and  save  some  of  the  settlers  who  were  said  to 
have  been  dispersed  over  the  prairie  by  the 
Indians.  They  had  agreed  to  unite  again  at 
Tuttle's  place  and  return  to  town  together.  When 
the  first  party,  who  had  been  searching  on  the 
north  side  of  the  Cottonwood,  reached  Tuttle's 
place,  they  found  that  the  other  party  had  already 
left  for  town.  A  man  coming  from  New  "Ulm  told 
them  that  he  had  met  the  others  on  the  way. 

When  the  second  party,  among  whom  were 
Carroll,  Loomis,  Lamb,  Byan,  (who  had  in  the 
meantime  joined  them),  Hinton  and  a  Norwegian, 
noticed  a  fire  in  the  neighborhood  of  New  Ulm, 
they  became  suspicious  and  looked  for  the  Indians. 
As  soon  as  they  reached  the  plateau  west  of  New 
Ulm,  stretching  for  about  a  mile  from  north  to 
south,  Hinton  rode  far  enough  in  advance  of  the 
others  to  see  the  town  from  a  hill.  Returning  to 
his  companions  he  said  that  the  town  had  just 
been  attacked  by  the  Indians,  and  proposed  to 
take  another  road  and  fly  to  Mankato.  This 
advice  was  rejected  by  the  majority  who  reproached 
him  for-  cowardice.  They  took  a  good  view  of  the 
town  and  its  surroundings,  and  could  see  only  a 
few  Indians.  From  there  a  good  road  leads  to 


LITTLE  CROW'S  SON,  (WO-WI-NA-PE). 

(ONE  WHO  COMES  IN  SIGHT), 

Taken   prisoner  by  the  Military  Expedition  under 
command  of  Brig.  Gen.  Sibley,  1863. 


DATS  OP  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.      121 

New  Ulm;  first  across  a  swamp,  then  over  a  piece 
of  slowly- rising  prairie,  on  the  east  side  of  which 
it  leads  directly  into  town.  They  could  have 
reached  there  in  five  minutes  if  the  road  had  been 
clear.  Carroll  proposed  that  they  force  their 
way,  and  Hinton  took  the  lead.  When  they  came 
to  the  foot  of  the  hill,  near  the  swamp,  they 
noticed  two  Indians  who  had  been  hiding  behind 
a  big  rock  leveling  their  rifles  at  the  first  horse 
man.  Hinton  drew  his  revolver  and  drove  them 
back.  But  when  they  reached  the  other  side  of 
the  swamp,  those  Indians  who  were  hiding  in  the 
grass  opened  fire  on  them.  Carroll,  Almond, 
Loomis,  Lamb,  Eyan  and  the  Norwegian  fell  dead 
at  the  first  volley;  the  other  two  escaped  into 
town.  The  second  half  of  the  expedition  came 
about  half  an  hour  later  and  approached  the  place 
where  so  many  of  their  companions  had  just  lost 
their  lives.  Not  seeing  Indians  anywhere,  they 
had  no  idea  that  at  the  end  of  the  swamp  they 
would  run  into  a  terrible  trap.  But  no  sooner 
had  they  left  the  east  end  of  the  swamp  and  were 
within  a  short  distance  of  town  than  suddenly 
more  than  a  hundred  blood-thirsty  savages  rose 
up  from  the  tall  grass  and  poured  into  them  a 
shower  of  bullets.  Six  men  and  five  horses  fell 
dead.  Thomas  escaped.  His  horse  was  shot 
under  him,  but  throwing  away  his  gun  he  ran 
and  reached  town  safely.  An  Indian  sent  two 
shots  after  him,  but  the  bullets  only  struck  the 
ground  and  covered  him  with  dust.  He  was  the 
6 


122  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;   OR 

only  one  of  the  second  portion  of  that  expedition 
who  brought  the  news  of  the  terrible  fate  of  his 
companions  to  New  Ulm.  Two  of  the  first  party 
escaped  by  jumping  on  the  front  part  of  a  wagon. 
The  horses  had  become  frightened  and  ran 
furiously  towards  town.  Near  the  present  site  of 
the  Lutheran  church  one  of  the  men  was  shot  and 
fell  from  the  wagon,  where  he  lay  all  night.  He 
was  mortally  wounded  and  died  the  next  morning; 
the  other  clung  to  the  pole  and  reached  town 
unharmed. 

The  place  near  the  swamp  gave  evidence  of  the 
fight.  Pieces  of  broken  rifles  were  lying  around  on 
the  trampled  ground,  and  everywhere  were  traces 
of  the  fearful  struggles  of  the  dying  men.  A 
large  stone  marks  the  place  to  this  day.  On  the 
body  of  one  of  them,  who  was  not  discovered  till 
a  few  weeks  later,  a  pocket-book  with  $800  was 
found.  He  had  probably  been  seriously  wounded, 
and,  creeping  away  into  a  thicket  to  conceal  him 
self,  he  died  there.  Thus  was  the  fool-hardiness 
of  these  men,  who  were  so  eager  to  show  their 
courage,  terribly  punished. 

The  loss  of  so  many  strong  and  courageous 
citizens  and  the  gain  for  the  Indians  of  so  many 
rifles  were  not  calculated  to  ease  the  minds  of 
the  terrified  people.  The  heavy  rain  storm  that 
came  towards  evening  was  a  great  blessing,  for 
the  Indians  were  thereby  prevented  from  keeping 
up  the  siege  and  the  danger  of  fire  was  lessened. 
The  great  uneasiness  which  overcame  all  when 
night  approached  was  succeeded  by  much  joy,  for 


DAtS  0$  HORROR  OK  THE  FRONTIER.      123 

about  midnight  the  watchmen  announced  the 
arrival  of  a  large  troop  of  horsemen.  At  first 
some  were  afraid  they  might  be  reinforcements  for 
the  hostiles.  But  the  joyful  tidings  were  soon 
announced  that  they  were  the  men  who,  under 
command  of  the  noble  Chas.  E.  Flandreau,  had 
come  from  St.  Peter  and  Le  Sueur  to  risk  their 
lives  in  the  defense  of  their  neighbors.  Their 
arrival  brought  joy  to  every  heart.  The  town  now 
had  150  able  defenders,  well  armed.  This  was 
about  midnight  of  Tuesday  and  Wednesday. 
There  were  now  some  1500  persons  in  the  fortified 
quarters  of  the  town.  Every  available  place  was 
occupied.  Flandreau  was  chosen  commander-in- 
chief .  He  brought  with  him  four  physicians,  Drs. 
Ayer  and  Mayo  from  Le  Sueur,  and  Drs.  McMahon 
and  Daniels  from  St.  Peter.  These  relieved  the 
overburdened  Dr.  Weshke,  who  had  been  up  to 
that  time  the  only  physician  in  New  Ulm. 

On  Wednesday  steps  were  taken  to  provide  the 
necessary  supplies.  The  barricades  were  im 
proved  and  everything  was  done  to  be  able  to 
successfully  resist  the  attack  which  was  momen 
tarily  expected.  During  the  day  fifty  volun 
teers  arrived  from  Mankato  under  Captain  Bier- 
bauer,  and  an  equal  number  from  Le  Sueur. 
Nothing  more  could  be  seen  of  the  Indians  in 
the  vicinity  of  New  Ulm  during  those  painful 
hours.  Those  who  had  been  killed  near  town  the 
day  previous  were  picked  up  and  buried  and  the 
wounded  brought  in  and  nursed. 


CHAPTEE  XI. 


Siege  of  Fort  Eidgely. — Little  Crow. — Christian  Indians 
Equally  Cruel. — Little  Crow's  Plan. — Confusion  at  the 
Fort. — Shehan  and  Jones. — Serious  Defense.— Fear  of 
the  Besieged.— Scarcity  of  Water. — Kain  at  the  Proper 
Moment.— Help  Arrives.— The  Indians  Kaise  the  Siege. 
—Dr.  Alfred  Mueller  and  his  Devoted  Wife. 

ON  that  day,  Wednesday,  August  20th,  Chief 
Little  Crow  made  an  attack  upon  Fort 
Ridgely,  situated  about  eighteen  miles  northwest 
of  New  Ulm.  The  assault  was  made  between  2 
and  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  just  as  soon  as  the 
Indians  who  had  attacked  New  Ulm  had  returned 
and  joined  him. 

Little  Crow,  the  leader  in  the  outbreak,  belonged 
to  the  civilized  Indians.  As  such  he  had  been  at 
Washington  several  times  in  connection  with 
Indian  affairs.  He  was  shrewd,  calculating  and 
talented;  but  his  ambition  knew  no  bounds. 
Though  civilized,  and  like  many  others  acting  the 
part  of  a  civilized  man  while  concealing  his  real 
nature,  he  was  so  intimately  acquainted  with 
Indian  affairs,  and  understood  so  well  the  numer 
ous  and  notorious  wrongs  which  they  had  suffered 
at  the  hands  of  white  men,  that  he  hated  them 
with  a  most  bitter  hatred. 


DAYS  OP  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.      125 

Christianity  (as  it  was  officially  presented  to 
them  by  the  Protestant  ministers,  Dr.  Williamson 
and  Dr.  Riggs)  had  very  little  or  no  influence 
with  him  or  any  of  the  other  so-called  Christian 
Indians.  Even  the  two  missionaries  who  had  for 
many  years  preached  the  gospel  to  the  Indians  at 
the  expense  of  the  Government  had  to  fly  with 
the  others  as  soon  as  they  had  gone  on  the  war 
path.  Little  Crow  numbered  among  his  many 
mental  traits  the  talent  of  dissimulation.  He  was 
suspected  nevertheless  by  his  own  race,  on  account 
of  his  many  and  constant  dealings  with  the  repre 
sentatives  of  the  Government,  to  have  been  bribed 
by  them.  He  managed  to  clear  himself  of  this 
accusation  in  a  satisfactory  manner.  He  was  the 
owner  of  a  fine  red  brick  residence,  built  at  the 
expense  of  the  Government,  and  lived  in  it.  It 
still  stands  between  the  lower  Sioux  Agency  and 
Redwood  Falls. 

It  is  said  that  early  in  the  morning  of  the  18th 
of  August,  messengers  came  to  him  with  the  news 
of  the  murders  near  Acton,  and  expressed  the 
opinion  that  the  time  for  action  had  arrived  for 
him,  and  he  would  be  obliged  to  stand  by  them  in 
bearing  the  consequences  of  the  crime.  Little 
Crow  became  thereupon  greatly  excited.  He  per 
fectly  understood  the  importance  of  the  outbreak 
and  its  consequences,  since  he  had  occasion  enough 
in  his  travels  to  ascertain  the  power  of  the  whites. 
He  hesitated  only  for  a  moment,  then  jumping 
from  his  bed  he  said:  "  All  right !  I  am  with  you." 


126  THE  INDIANS'  BEVENGE;  OB 

Soon  after — even  that  same  morning — the  air  was 
filled  with  the  smoke  of  burning  buildings  around 
the  Agency,  mingled  with  the  shrieks  of  the  dying 
and  the  wounded  victims  of  his  treachery.  From 
that  time  up  to  his  death  Little  Crow  never  wore 
the  garb  of  the  paleface,  of  which  he  had  once 
been  so  proud. 

After  the  failure  of  the  first  attack  upon  New 
Ulm  his  plan  was  to  provide  a  large  number  of 
rifles  and  ammunition,  and,  above  all,  a  few  field- 
pieces.  All  these  could  be  obtained  by  capturing 
Fort  Kidgely.  The  time  chosen  for  that  work  was 
very  favorable.  In  the  morning  of  August  18th, 
fifty  men  were  ordered  to  leave,  under  a  lieutenant, 
and  go  to  Fort  Eipley,  in  Northern  Minnesota. 
The  Indians  around  the  Fort  were  probably  aware 
of  this.  On  the  20th  of  August,  at  3  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  fire  was  opened  without  warning  on 
the  outlying  pickets.  The  Indians,  numbering 
several  hundred  warriors,  could  come  to  within 
a  hundred  and  fifty  yards  of  the  Fort  without 
being  noticed.  An  excellent  protection  for  them 
were  the  barns,  built  some  distance  from  the  Fort, 
from  which  they  could  do  some  deadly  work. 
The  suddenness  of  the  attack  caused  great  conster 
nation  at  the  Fort,  since  no  one  had  any  idea  that 
the  Indians  would  venture  to  assault  them  in  their 
stronghold.  Two  men  (Greer  and  Gooda)  fell 
dead  at  the  first  volley.  Robert  Baker,  who  had 
just  escaped  from  the  other  scene  of  blood,  stood 
at  the  window  and  was  shot  through  the  head. 


DAYS  OP  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.      127 

The  first  impulse  after  every  surprise  is  to  seek 
protection  against  an  assaulting  foe.  Lieutenant 
Shehan  at  once  summoned  the  soldiers  to  the 
defense.  There  were  in  the  whole  Fort  only  130 
men.  No  one  had  as  yet  replaced  Captain  Marsh 
who  fell  two  days  before  at  the  Ferry  surprise. 
The  six  heavy  pieces  of  artillery  were  placed  under 
the  immediate  command  of  John  Jones;  but,  for 
the  want  of  an  experienced  artillerist,  only  two  of 
them  were  used.  The  situation  on  the  whole  was 
very  unfavorable  for  the  defense  of  Fort  Ridgely. 
Wooden  buildings  and  haystacks  obstructed  their 
view,  and  the  storehouse  was  within  reach  of  the 
hostile  rifles,  so  that  the  necessary  provisions 
could  only  be  brought  to  the  Fort  under  the 
greatest  difficulties.  The  place  is  now  deserted 
and  shows  signs  of  decay.  Some  of  the  buildings 
still  bear  the  marks  made  by  the  bullets  of  the 
besiegers.  The  danger  was  further  increased  by 
the  numerous  objects  to  be  protected.  There 
were  the  officers'  quarters,  the  warehouses,  a 
number  of  log  houses  belonging  to  the  Fort,  and 
other  property,  for  the  protection  of  which  the 
number  of  soldiers  was  too  small.  If  the  Indians 
had  succeeded  in  taking  even  a  few  of  the  build 
ings  the  Fort  would  undoubtedly  have  been  lost. 
They  could  have  taken  it  at  the  first  assault  if  they 
had  possessed  the  necessary  courage.  They  suc 
ceeded  indeed  in  setting  fire  to  a  few  of  the 
smaller  out-houses,  but  the  fires  were  successfully 
kept  from  the  main  buildings.  Most  of  these 


128  THE  INDIANS'  BEVENQEJ  OK 

were  of  wood,  and  the  dry  shingles  easily  ignited. 
A  large  barn  was  occupied  by  the  Indians,  and 
from  that  the  besieged  suffered  the  most.  Jones 
succeeded  in  shelling  the  barn  and  setting  it  on 
fire. 

The  anxiety  of  the  besieged,  (especially  of  the 
many  women  and  children  who  had  sought  refuge 
there),  was  pitiable  in  the  extreme.  They  were 
closed  in  on  all  sides;  and  during  the  whole  of  the 
night,  from  the  20th  to  the  21st  of  August,  they 
expected  the  enemy  to  break  in  upon  them  at  any 
moment.  Their  supply  of  water  began  to  give  out 
and  they  could  not  obtain  any  within  the  Fort. 
Their  only  supply  came  from  a  spring  near  by. 
But  when  despair  had  almost  overcome  them, 
Heaven  had  mercy,  and  rain  came  down  in  tor 
rents.  Little  Crow  seemed  then  to  realize  that  the 
decisive  moment  had  arrived,  and,  amid  peals  of 
thunder,  the  booming  of  cannon  and  the  unearthly 
yells  of  his  warriors,  his  voice  could  be  heard 
encouraging  them  to  take  the  place  by  storm.  But 
it  was  in  vain.  The  besiegers  were  afraid  above 
all  things  of  the  artillery,  by  means  of  which  their 
hiding-places  had  been  destroyed  in  detail. 

During  the  night  a  brave  Canadian  half-breed 
named  Frazier  succeeded  in  breaking  through  the 
lines  and  hurried  away  towards  St.  Peter,  a 
distance  of  forty-six  miles.  He  met  General  Sib- 
ley  coming  from  Fort  Snelling,  and  having  reported 
the  matters  to  him  he  immediately  ordered  a 
company  of  cavalry  to  the  assistance  of  the  be- 


DAYS  OF  HOKROB  ON  THE  FRONTIER.      129 

sieged.  Next  morning  the  Indians  retired,  and 
after  two  days  of  intense  anxiety  the  joyful  news 
came  from  one  of  the  guards  that  horsemen  could 
be  seen  on  the  road  from  St.  Peter.  From  that 
moment  they  felt  safe.  At  first  their  fears  were 
only  increased,  because  many  believed  them  to 
have  been  Indians;  but  as  they  approached  nearer 
all  doubts  and  fears  were  removed.  They  were 
three  volunteer  companies  under  command  of 
Samuel  McPhail,  who  also  brought  the  good  news 
that  General  Sibley  was  on  his  way  to  the  Fort. 

The  brave  defenders  who  lost  their  lives  in  the 
siege  were  buried  near  the  Fort.  A  monument 
now  marks  the  place,  and  tells  the  story  of  their 
valor  to  future  generations.  .  Dr.  Alfred  Mueller 
was  the  only  physician  at  the  Fort.  He  was  un 
tiring  in  his  efforts  to  alleviate  the  sufferings  of 
the  wounded,  and  his  wife,  too,  like  an  angel  of 
mercy,  stood  day  and  night  aiding  him  at  the 
bedside  of  the  wounded  and  the  dying. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Second  Siege  of  New  Ulm.— Lieutenant  Huey's  Flight. — 
'United  with  Captain  Cox's  Troops. — Houses  set  on 
Fire. — Incendiary  Mania  in  Town. — The  Pole,  Michel- 
owski. — Wettendorfs  Residence. — A  Barrel  of  Powder. 
— A  Night  of  Terror. — A  Leonidas  Troop. — Misunder 
standings.— A  Stovepipe  for  a  Cannon. — Salvation. — 
Departure  from  New  Ulm.— Property  Lost. — To  Man- 
kato  and  St.  Peter. — Back  Home. — Remnants  of  the 
Outbreak. — Grasshoppers. — New  Ulm  Rebuilt.—  A  Ger 
man  City. — Nothing  to  fear  from  the  Indians. 

DURING  those  days,  which  proved  to  be  a  real 
blessing  for  New  Ulm,  the  booming  of  can 
nons  could  be  heard  from  Fort  Ridgely,  and  this 
encouraged  the  citizens  to  increase  and  strengthen 
the  fortifications.  Even  women  and  children  gave 
a  helping  hand,  for  they  were  engaged  in  prepar 
ing  bandages  and  casting  bullets.  They  served  a 
good  purpose.  On  the  morning  of  August  the 
23d,  smoke-clouds  were  seen  rising  everywhere. 
The  surrounding  farm-houses  had  been  set  on  fire 
by  the  Indians.  The  redskins  came  flocking 
towards  town  on  all  sides.  Among  them  was  a 
very  conspicuous  chief  riding  a  white  pony.  It 
was  probably  Little  Crow  himself.  The  first  ad 
vance  of  the  half  naked  and  gaudily-painted 
savages  who,  amidst  a  howling  more  like  that  of 
demons  than  of  human  beings,  came  storming  on, 


DAYS   OF   HORROR   Otf   THE   FRONTIER.  131 

and  drove  the  pickets  in  from  the  too  widely 
extended  fortifications.  Unfortunately,  seventy- 
five  men  had  just  been  sent  across  the  Minnesota 
into  the  Lafayette  settlement  in  Nicolet  County,  a 
few  miles  from  New  Ulm,  because,  early  in  the 
morning,  columns  of  smoke  had  been  seen  rising 
there.  Lieutenant  W.  Huey  tried  in  vain  to  get 
back  to  New  Ulm.  A  number  of  Indians  cut  off 
his  retreat.  On  his  return,  or  rather  on  his  flight, 
he  met  Captain  St.  Julien  Cox,  on  his  way  from 
St.  Peter  to  New  Ulm.  But  the  Indians  were 
strong  enough  to  prevent  both  companies  from 
entering  New  Ulm,  and  so  they  united  on  the  open 
prairie  for  their  common  defense.  Seventeen  of 
them,  however,  forced  their  way  through  the  hos 
tile  ranks,  and,  taking  possession  of  a  windmill, 
fought  till  towards  evening  against  a  band  of 
Indians  who  had  taken  possession  of  a  hall  near  by. 
After  nightfall  they  set  the  windmill  on  fire  and 
entered  the  barricades  near  the  Dakota  House. 

Several  other  buildings,  among  them  two  mills, 
which  were  of  little  use  to  the  Indians  during  the 
siege,  were  burned  by  them.  Commander  Flan- 
dreau  desired  to  save  what  could  be  saved.  Cap 
tain  Nix  had  advised  the  destruction  of  several 
residences  outside  the  fortified  quarters,  but 
Flandreau  would  not  consent  to  it.  The  Indians 
then  made  use  of  these  residences  with  great 
advantage  to  themselves,  keeping  up  a  destruc 
tive  fire  on  Minnesota  street.  Flandreau  then 
resolved  that  they  had  to'  be  taken  if  New  Ulm 


132  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;  OR 

was  to  be  saved.  Captain  Nix,  with  fifty  men, 
mostly  farmers,  vigorously  supp6rted  him,  and 
received  a  bullet  in  the  same  arm  from  which  he 
had  lost  a  finger  a  few  days  before.  After  a  stub 
born  resistance  the  Indians  were  driven  out  at 
about  5  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  the  build 
ings,  to  save  further  danger,  set  on  fire.* 

The  besieged  now  began  to  burn  down  all  the 
buildings  outside  the  line  which  seemed  to  be  in 
their  way.  A  mania  for  burning  houses  had  taken 
so  a  firm  hold,  that,  even  inside  the  fortified  quar 
ters,  Anton  Zecher's  residence  was  destroyed. 
Michelowski,  a  Pole,  was  so  possessed  by  the  fire- 
fiend  that  he  had  to  be  imprisoned,  and  Flandreau 
issued  a  proclamation  to  the  effect  that  any  one 
caught  in  the  act  of  setting  fire  to  buildings  would 
be  shot.  The  Turner  Hall  and  the  unfinished 
Catholic  church,  both  main  strongholds  for  the 
Indians,  were  fired. 

There  Was  now  only  one  building  standing  out 
side  the  town,  except  the  four  blocks  enclosed  by 
the  barricade^.  It  was  Wettendorfs  residence, 
and  was  situated  about  1000  yards  north  of  the  city 
limits.  In  it  were  stationed  Zicher,  Haeberle,  the 
two  Held  brothers,  Theobald,  Hartwick,  Boblet- 
ter  (father  of  a  subsequent  postmaster),  Kahlfeld, 
Hamner  and  nine  others,  in  order  to  defend  the 
town  from  that  side.  On  account  of  inadequate 


*  These  houses  stood  on  the  present  site  of  the  beautiful 
business  place  of  Kiessling  &  Keller. 


DAYS  OF  HOBBOB  ON  THE  FBONTIER.      133 

means  they  did  not  succeed  well.  It  being  a 
newly-built  brick  house,  the  Indians  wisely  kept  at 
a  distance,  and  only  a  few  were  killed.  The  great 
number  of  warriors  and  their  vigorous  actions 
compelled  these  men  to  leave  the  place,  and 
under  cover  of  night  cross  the  Minnesota  and  get 
into  Nicolet  County.  Running  towards  Swan 
Lake  they  entered  a  swamp  where  they  had  to 
remain  all  night.  J.  Hartwick  alone  remained 
in  the  house.  Anxiety  and  fear  had  so  worked 
upon  his  mind  that  he  became  unsconeious  of  dan 
ger.  Towards  morning  he  ran  into  town,  receiv 
ing  five  shots,  none  of  which  proved  fatal.  Three 
years  ago  Hartwick  was  injured  by  a  mowing 
machine,  from  the  effects  of  which  he  died.  Such 
is  fate ! 

The  besieged  at  New  Ulm  defended  themselves 
like  the  valiant  Greeks  at  the  Pass  of  Thermopylae. 
They  had  the  courage  of  lions,  and  met  with  bet 
ter  success  than  their  Spartan  prototypes.  They 
were  constantly  prepared  for  any  emergency. 
Most  of  the  women  and  children  were  in  the  cel 
lars  under  brick  houses,  and  these  were  so  filled 
that  there  was  hardly  any  standing  room  left. 
With  heroic  courage  and  self-denial,  they  re 
mained  in  their  chosen  prisons,  always  ready  for 
the  worst.  The  most  dreadful  suspense  these 
women  suffered  was  the  fear  of  the  victorious  war- 
cry  of  the  red  demons,  which  was  worse  than  death 
to  them. 


134:  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;  OB 

In  Erd's  cellar,  in  which  the  greater  number  of 
women  and  children  were  huddled  together,  there 
was  a  barrel  of  powder  in  charge  of  the  widow  of 
the  late  John  Schmitz.  It  was  held  in  readiness 
to  blow  up  the  building  as  soon  as  the  Indians 
entered  victorious.  This  fact  was  a  menace  to  the 
whole  town.  Some  cowardly  wretches,  it  is  said, 
had  entered  the  cellar  several  times  crying  out 
that  the  town  was  taken.  But  womanly  prudence 
and  a  mistrust,  which  would  have  been  wrong  at 
any  other  time,  prevented  a  terrible  catastrophe. 
Many  may  consider  the  intention  which  prompted 
these  preparations  not  justified,  and  altogether 
wrong.  But  when  the  terrible  fate  which  awaited 
the  women  and  children  (of  which  some  instances 
will  be  given  presently),  is  taken  into  considera 
tion,  it  is  not  fair  to  condemn  their  action.  The 
poet  Korner  has  honored  and  immortalized  a 
similar  action  in  his  "  Count  Zrini,  or  the  Capture 
of  Szygeth,"  where  his  wife  and  daughter  had 
chosen  a  similar  fate  rather  than  fall  into  the 
hands  of  the  Moslems. 

During  the  whole  night  from  Saturday  to  Sun 
day  the  fight  was  going  on.  It  was  truly  a  night 
of  terror,  because  the  citizens  had  to  fight  against 
an  enemy  who  knew  not  mercy  for  either  women 
or  children,  and  who,  thirsting  for  blood,  was 
dreadfully  in  earnest  to  avenge  his  wrongs  upon 
the  innocent  as  well  as  the  guilty.  The  crack  of 
rifles,  the  whizzing  of  bullets,  the  wild  yells  of  the 
Indians,  the  moans  of  the  wounded  and  dying,  the 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.      135 

cries  of  frightened  children,  the  surrounding  dark 
ness — these  things  were  not  calculated  to  fill  the 
minds  of  the  people  with  courage  and  hope.  They 
rather  filled  the  minds  of  the  most  courageous  with 
fear.  And  then  came  the  thought  that  the  Indians 
might  have  taken  Fort  Ridgely,  and,  in  possession 
of  its  instruments  of  death,  nothing  would  be  left 
of  New  Ulm.  But  the  men  stood  firmly  at  the 
barricades.  They  were  all  heroes,  and,  valiantly 
exposing  their  breasts  to  the  deadly  bullets  of  the 
enemy,  they  quietly  sent,  like  angels  of  death, 
their  own  dreadful  summons  to  their  terrible 
foe.  There  was,  however,  no  lack  of  misunder 
standings.  Captain  Todd  and  others  lost  their 
lives  in  a  very  careless  manner  by  making  a  sortie 
from  the  barricades  in  order  to  drive  the  Indians 
back.  They  were,  of  course,  unmercifully  butch 
ered  only  a  few  steps  from  the  barricades.  The 
Indians  made  the  fortunate  mistake  of  too  heavily 
charging  their  rifles,  and,  on  this  account,  often 
shot  above  the  mark. 

A  baker  named  Castor  wanted  to  carry  bread  to 
some  hungry  customers,  and,  being  obliged  to 
expose  himself  to  the  fire  of  the  hostiles,  put  on  a 
buffalo  robe  so  as  to  appear  like  an  Indian.  A 
white  man  took  him  for  one  of  them  and  of  course 
shot  him. 

An  old  man  named  Kupke  was  crazed  by  fear 
and  left  the  fortifications,  and  his  body  was  after 
wards  found  frightfully  mutilated. 


136  THE  INDIANS'  BEVENGE;  OB 

What  a  relief  it  must  have  been  to  those  brave 
people  when,  at  the  break  of  day,  the  Indians 
began  to  disperse!  The  Lord's  Day — it  was  Sun 
day,  August  24th — brought  salvation  and  safety. 
How  many  of  the  Indians  were  killed  cannot  be 
estimated,  since  they  took  with  them  when  at  all 
possible  the  dead  and  wounded.  But  the  quan 
tity  of  blood  discovered  around  the  city  gave  evi 
dence  of  a  terrible  loss  to  them. 

New  Ulm  had  only  eight  dead  and  sixty 
wounded.  Many  of  the  latter  died  on  account  of 
its  being  impossible  to  give  them  the  necessary  care. 
One  hundred  and  forty-nine  residences  were  de 
stroyed.  Between  nine  and  ten  o'clock,  Capt.  Cox 
managed  to  get  into  town  with  seventy-five  men. 
Soon  after  that  all  the  Indians  retreated  and  held 
a  council,  whereupon  they  left  altogether.  Their 
main  camping  ground  was  in  the  neighborhood  of 
the  present  Catholic  cemetery.  It  is  said  that 
their  sudden  retreat  was  partly  caused  by  a  piece 
of  strategy.  It  is  well  known  that  nothing  can 
terrify  the  Indians  so  much  as  artillery.  An 
inventive  genius  placed  a  stovepipe  upon  a  cart, 
and  two  anvils  were  used  for  making  the  necessary 
noise.  The  Indians  were  thereby  made  to  believe 
that  a  cannon  had  arrived  during  the  night.  This 
reminds  us  of  the  fatal  horse  of "  Troy.  It  was 
there  that  strategy  conquered  the  old  city,  and 
here  the  young  city  was  saved  by  the  same  means. 

Captain  Cox  had  been  charged  by  the  Governor 
to  command  the  people  to  leave  the  town  as  soon 


DAYS  OP  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.      137 

as  possible.  Some  refused  to  leave,  especially 
Captain  Nix.  They  were  of  the  opinion  that, 
after  they  were  now  somewhat  secure  and  had 
gone  through  so  much,  they  ought  not  so  easily 
give  up  their  homes  to  the  enemy.  Their  victories 
thus  far  made  them  proud  and  courageous,  and 
they  did  not  think  it  necessary  to  fly  from  even  so 
'  formidable  an  enemy.  The  majority,  however, 
were  in  favor  of  leaving  the  city,  and  the  minority 
willingly  gave  in,  in  consideration  of  the  many 
women  and  children  and  wounded  men.  More 
over,  it  was  almost  impossible  for  the  two  thou 
sand  five  hundred  persons  to  find  accommodations 
in  the  forty-nine  houses  that  had  remained  intact. 
Provisions  were  also  wanting.  The  numerous 
dead  animals  that  were  lying  in  and  around  town 
exposed  to  a  hot  summer  sun  soon  would  have 
filled  the  air  with  a  stench  that  would  have  made  a 
stay  impossible.  Sunday  afternoon,  preparations 
were  made  for  removing  to  Mankato,  twenty-eight 
miles  from  New  Ulm.  Monday  morning,  August 
25th,  a  long  caravan — some  in  wagons,  others  on 
horses,  and  others  on  foot — moved  towards  Man 
kato.  There  were  in  the  line  one  hundred  and 
fifty  wagons,  of  which  fifty-six  were  carrying  the 
sick  and  the  wounded.  The  deserted  city  pre 
sented  a  very  melancholy  aspect.  On  account  of 
the  scarcity  of  teams  many  articles  of  furniture 
which  had  been  so  anxiously  protected  by  their 
owners  had  to  be  left  behind.  All  manner  of 
things  were  lying  about  in  the  deserted  houses 


138  THE  INDIANS'  'REVENGE;  OB 

and  in  the  streets.  Of  the  hundreds  of  articles 
only  the  more  important  and  valuable  had  been 
removed.  Some  tried  to  carry  household  utensils 
on  their  shoulders,  but,  finding  it  inconvenient  if 
not  impossible,  dropped  them.  The  road  between 
New  Ulm  and  Mankato  was  therefore  covered  with 
miscellaneous  household  furniture.  Nearly  every 
thing  to  which  they  had  become  devotedly 
attached  had  to  be  left  behind  in  order  to  save 
their  lives.  The  extent  of  the  loss  and  the 
seriousness  of  the  situation  increased  their  sorrow 
more  and  more;  and  many  a  scalding  tear  was 
shed  as  the  stricken  people  looked,  back  upon 
their  lost  treasures.  But  the  saddest  of  all  were 
those  who  numbered  their  kindred  among  the 
dead,  and  who  were  obliged  to  leave  them  un- 
buried  on  hostile  ground.  These  things  were 
more  painful  and  oppressive  than  wounds.  There 
were  lonesome  hearts  in  that  sad  procession, 
anxious  to  know  what  had  become  of  father  or 
mother,  husband  or  wife,  sister  or  brother  or 
child. 

When  they  reached  Mankato  orders  were  re 
ceived  to  bring  the  sick  and  the  wounded  as  well 
as  the  women  and  children  to  St.  Peter,  twelve 
miles  farther.  The  able-bodied  men  were  retained 
to  assist  in  defending  the  town,  since  the  Winne- 
bago  Indians  were  reported  to  have  gone  on  the 
war-path.  This  separation  of  families  was  a  new 
source  of  anxiety  and  sorrow.  On  reaching  St. 
Peter  the  wounded  and  the  helpless  received  all 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.      139 

possible  care  and  attention  at  the  hands  of  its 
noble-hearted  citizens.  A  few  days  before  many 
of  the  fugitives  who  had  arrived  there  from  West 
Newton  could  get  nothing  to  eat,  because  the 
people  of  St.  Peter  did  not  believe  the  report  of 
an  outbreak.  There  were  so  many  sick  and 
wounded  that  the  private  residences  could  not 
accommodate  them  all;  the  Catholic  church  was 
therefore  turned  into  a  temporary  hospital.  Later 
on,  many  of  the  wounded  and  sick,  and  also  the 
women  and  children,  were  removed  down  the  Min 
nesota  Kiver  to  other  towns — Le  Seuer,  Hender 
son,  Belle  Plaine,  Shakopee,  and  even  to  St.  Paul. 

After  a  few  days,  many  of  the  citizens  of  New 
Ulm  returned,  for  they  had  learned  that  a  regular 
militia  regiment  and  a  number  of  well-armed  vol 
unteers  had  gone  out  in  pursuit  of  the  Indians. 
The  defense  of  the  town  had  no  regular  militia, 
but  was  made  up  in  a  hurry  of  all  kinds  of  people, 
including  farmers,  mechanics  and  laborers. 

The  sufferings  which  they  had  endured,  the 
almost  irreparable  loss  of  property  and  the  dread 
of  a  repetition  of  these  same  trials  were  the  causes 
why  a  number  of  the  people  of  New  Ulm  and  its 
vicinity  did  not  return  to  their  homes.  St.  Paul, 
Cincinnati  and  Chicago  now  contain  many  of  the 
fugitives  of  that  time.  Many  sold  their  property 
for  a  mere  trifle,  if  they  could  only  secure  a  little 
cash.  Others  more  courageous  took  this  occasion 
to  settle  in  that  country  and  made  fortunes.  Many 
thus  obtained  fine  farms  for  a  few  hundred  dollars 


140  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;  OB 

which  were  even  then  worth  more  than  as  many 
thousands. 

It  took  quite  a  while,  however,  before  immigra 
tion  to  New  Ulm  and  its  surroundings  made  any 
real  progress,  because  the  Indians  continued  for  a 
long  time  after  the  outbreak  to  harass  the  settlers. 
It  was  hardly  a  year  after  that  when  Athanasius 
Henle  was  shot  at  by  the  Indians,  on  his  way  to 
town,  in  broad  daylight.  He  escaped  without 
injury.  Not  far  from  there  a  man  named  Bosche 
was  shot  dead  the  same  day  while  working  on 
what  is  now  Pfaender's  farm,  just  as  his  three  sons 
were  bringing  him  his  dinner.  But  when,  a  few 
years  later,  the  United  States  Government  indem 
nified  the  people  for  their  losses  as  far  as  money 
could  do  it,  a  golden  era  opened  for  New  Ulm  and 
vicinity.  Immigrants  continued  to  come,  and  they 
brought  with  them  wealth  and  prosperity.  The 
grasshopper  plague  from  1873  to  1876  interfered 
somewhat  with  its  progress  for  the  time  being. 
But  in  spite  of  the  calamities  through  which  this 
settlement  had  passed,  having  had  more  to  endure 
than  any  other  settlement  in  the  United  States, 
the  New  Ulm  of  to-day,  on  account  of  its  substan 
tial  prosperity  in  both  public  and  private  build 
ings,  makes  as  favorable  a  showing  for  its  size  as 
any  other  town  in  the  Union.  German  persever 
ance,  industry  and  manners  have  established  be 
yond  the  Mississippi  a  cradle  of  culture;  and  its 
steady  and  rapid  progress  is  due  to  the  untiring 
hands  of  Germania's  sons. 


BAYS  OP  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.      141 

New  Ulm  is  an  almost  exclusively  German  town. 
Only  about  half  a  dozen  of  its  property-holders 
are  not  Germans.  In  its  vicinity  there  is  hardly  a 
settler  to  be  found  who  was  not  born  and  raised  in 
some  part  of  Germany.  Every  German  province 
from  the  shores  of  the  North  Sea  to  the  southern 
borders  of  Austria,  and  from  the  banks  of  the 
Moselle  to  the  Neva,  has  sent  her  representatives; 
and  still  there  is  room  for  many  thousands  more. 
There  is  no  longer  any  danger  from  the  Indians, 
even  though  the  new-comer  should  go  hundreds  of 
miles  beyond  New  Ulm.  Only  a  small  tribe  of 
the  Sioux  live  in  Dakota,  near  Big  Stone  Lake, 
and  all  these  are  on  friendly  terms  with  the  whites. 
From  Minnesota  the  implacable  Sioux  is  removed 
forever. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


Punishment  of  Criminals. — The  Greatest  Evil-doers  go  Free. 
— A  Difficult  Campaign. — Many  Indians  Captured. — 
Three  Hundred  and  Three  Condemned  to  Death. — 
Citizens  of  New  Ulm  and  the  Captives. — They  were  to 
be  Massacred.— Thirty-nine  Executed,  the  others  Par 
doned  by  President  Lincoln.— Names  of  the  Con 
demned.— An  Amputated  Nose.— Rev.  Eiggs  reads  the 
Sentence  of  Death  to  the  Condemned. — Their  Religious 
Professions. — Martial  Law  in  Mankato. — Last  Farewell 
from  Friends  and  Relatives. — Ta-ti-mi-na. — Ta-zoo  and 
Red  Iron. — Death-wailing  of  the  Condemned. — The 
Gallows. — The  Indians  Decorate  Themselves  for  Death. 
— End  of  the  Condemned.— Final  Scene. 

THE  agents  who  so  shamefully  defrauded  the 
Indians  ought  to  have  been  punished  as 
severely  as  the  Indians  themselves;  but  they,  the 
originators  of  the  whole  trouble,  could  not  be 
reached  by  the  laws  of  the  land.  It  was  only 
those  who  were  reached  by  the  cruel  hands  of  the 
irritated  Indians  that  suffered  for  those  men's 
misdeeds.  Many  of  them  are  enjoying  life  in 
mansions  erected  by  the  money  that  they  stole 
from  the  poor  Indians,  and  the  cement  of  those 
buildings  is  the  innocent  blood  of  hundreds  of 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.      143 

the  unfortunate  settlers.     Do   they  ever  give  a 
thought  that  a  higher  tribunal  awaits  them  ?  * 

After  a  long  and  difficult  campaign,  General 
Sibley  had  succeeded  in  capturing  a  large  number 
of  the  Indians  who  had  taken  part  in  this  massacre. 
Three  hundred  and  three  of  them  were  condemned 
to  death.  The  idea  of  executing  so  many  men, 
several  of  whom  were  fathers  of  families,  roused 
the  sympathy  of  a  large  number  of  influential 
citizens  of  the  United  States,  and  the  leading 
papers  throughout  the  land  espoused  the  cause  of 
the  condemned.  It  was  urged  that  the  mischief 
which  had  been  done  could  not  in  any  way  be 
lessened  by  the  wholesale  destruction  of  so  many 
lives.  Probably,  the  conviction  was  gaining 
ground  in  many  minds  that  the  revolt  of  the 
Indians  was  not  altogether  without  cause.  Again, 
they  had  already  suffered  severely  for  their  out 
break  by  privations  and  the  loss  of  many  lives. 
Those  three  hundred  and  three  Indians  were  in 
strict  confinement  in  a  camp  between  Mankato 
and  South  Bend  on  the  banks  of  the  Minnesota. 
When  they  were  led  as  captives  through  New  Ulm 
on  the  7th  of  November,  1862,  a  new  massacre 


*  Captain  Thompson,  at  the  time  a  banker  at  St.  Paul, 
who  handled  a  good  deal  of  the  Indians'  money  before  the 
outbreak,  was  so  poor  at  La  Crosse,  "Wis.,  before  he  became 
Superintendent  of  Indian  affairs  for  Minnesota  and  Iowa, 
that  he  was  on  the  point  of  losing  his  ferry-boat—so  heavily 
was  it  laden  with  debts.  Soon  after  he  had  become  Super 
intendent,  he  had  money  enough  to  invest  a  million  dollars 
in  Southern  Minnesota  K.  B.  Bonds. 


144  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;  OR 

had  almost  taken  place.  The  remembrance  of 
their  awful  deeds  was  still  fresh  in  the  minds  of 
the  people,  and  nothing  but  the  extraordinary 
vigilance  and  prudence  of  the  officers  in  charge 
prevented  another  terrible  catastrophe.  The 
female  portion  of  the  community  proved  to  be  the 
most  dangerous,  for  they  attacked  the  destroyers 
of  their  families  and  their  homes  with  a  shower  of 
stones.  Many  of  the  Indians  were  seriously 
wounded,  and  the  commanding  officer,  Colonel 
Marshall,  found  it  necessary  to  keep  them  out  of 
town  and  lead  them  by  another  road  to  Mankato. 
But  this  was  not  the  first  time  the  Indians  were  in 
danger  of  being  massacred.  The  anger  of  the 
whites  was  so  great  that  an  attack  upon  them,  to 
their  certain  destruction,  was  planned  on  all  sides. 
At  New  Ulm  orders  had  been  given  to  follow  the 
prisoners,  attack  them  at'  night  in  the  woods 
between  New  Ulm  and  Mankato,  and  put  them  all 
to  death.  Similar  threats  were  made  at  Mankato, 
and  during  the  night  of  the  4th  of  December  a 
detachment  of  cavalry  and  infantry  were  sent  to 
the  camp  to  prevent  a  possible  attack.  On  the  6th 
of  December,  Governor  Ramsey  issued  a  procla 
mation  earnestly  warning  the  people  against  such 
action.  During  the  time  the  Indians  were  kept  in 
confinement  near  Mankato  many  conferences  were 
held  to  determine  how  many  and  which  of  them 
should  be  put  to  death.  These  conferences  lasted 
more  than  a  month.  Stephen  Miller  then  pro 
claimed  the  order  of  President  Lincoln,  that  of 


DAYS   OP   HORROR   ON   THE   FRONTIER.  145 

the  Sioux,  half-breeds  as  well  as  Indians,  thirty- 
nine  should  suffer  the  penalty  of  death.  This 
order  was  dated  December  7, 1862.  The  execution 
should  take  place  on  Friday,  December  26,  1862. 
On  Monday,  December  2d,  the  thirty-nine  con 
demned  were  separated  from  the  others.  The 
reader  may  find  an  interest  in  the  names  of  some 
of  the  condemned.  Among  them  were,  Wahe-hua 
(Unknown);  Wahpa-doo-ta  (Red  Foliage);  Ma-za- 
bom-doo  (Iron  Blower);  Sna-ma-ne  (Ringing  Foot 
man);  Hin-han-schoon-ko-ag-ma-ke  (A  Footman 
with  an  Owl's  Tail);  The-he-hito-ne-sha  (Forbid 
ding  His  House);  Rha-in-yan-ka-ne  (Battling  Run 
ner);  Ta-zoo  (Red  Otter);  Wy-a-tah-ta-wa  (His 
People). 

One  of  the  ugliest  in  the  lot  was  "  Amputated 
Nose."  This  monster  in  human  form  had  killed 
twenty-one  men,  women  and  children,  mostly 
Germans.  In  Beaver  Creek  settlement  the  In 
dians  captured  a  wagon-load  of  fugitives,  and, 
whilst  two  of  them  held  the  horses,  he  jumped  on 
the  wagon  and  killed  nine  children  with  his  toma 
hawk.  He  tore  one  of  them  from  the  arms  of  its 
mother,  and,  running  a  long  iron  rod  through  its 
body,  fastened  it  to  a  fence.  Having  cut  off  the 
mother's  hands  and  feet,  the  savages  left  her  to 
die  by  the  roadside. 

Rev.  Riggs,  an  Episcopal  minister,  and  their 

own  missionary,  had  to  read  to  them  the  sentence 

of  death  in  the  Sioux  language.     This  was  a  very 

impressive    scene,   but    the    Indians    remained 

7 


146  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;  OR 

unmoved.  .Only  one  half-breed  named  Milaud 
appears  to  have  taken  the  matter  seriously  to  heart. 
During  the  reading  of  the  awful  sentence  many  of 
them  quietly  continued  smoking  their  pipes.  One 
of  them,  as  soon  as  he  learned  the  day  appointed 
for  the  carrying  out  of  the  sentence,  emptied  his 
pipe  and  at  once  filled  it  again  with  kinikinik  (the 
red  bark  of  a  shrub)  whilst  another  was  in  the  act 
of  preparing  a  handful  of  the  same  in  order  to 
sweeten  the  few  remaining  days  of  his  earthly 
career. 

According  to  the  principles  of  our  free  institu 
tions  every  one  of  the  condemned  was  at  liberty  to 
choose  the  religion  in  which  he  wanted  to  die,  and 
they  were  officially  notified  of  the  fact.  The 
Government  also  offered  to  procure  the  spiritual 
advisers  of  their  choice.  Strange  as  it  may 
appear,  thirty-six  out  of  the  thirty-nine  became 
Catholics,  though  they  had  always  been  under  the 
spiritual  guidance  of  Protestant  ministers  who, 
as  has  been  said,  were  in  the  employ  of  the  Gov 
ernment  for  years  past  at  the  different  agencies. 
Their  Catholic  spiritual  adviser  was  the  Rev. 
Father  Ravoux,  who  is  at  present  attached  to  the 
Cathedral  at  St.  Paul  as  Vicar-General  of  the 
diocese.*  Martial  law  was  proclaimed  at  Mankato 
by  Stephen  Miller  on  the  24th  of  December,  and 


*  The  different  Indian  tribes  who,  some  years  ago,  held  a 
great  council  with  the  representatives  of  the  Government 
also  wanted  only  Catholic  priests,  a  fact  which  was  reported 
in  every  paper  throughout  the  country. 


DATS  OF   HORROR  Oft  THE  FRONTIER.  147 

was  to  be  in  force  within  a  radius  of  sixteen  miles. 
On  the  same  day  the  friends  and  relatives  of  the 
condemned  were  permitted  to  bid  them  a  last 
farewell.  There  one  could  see  that  all  men,  of 
whatever  color  or  nationality,  have  the  same  ten 
der  feelings  for  their  own  at  the  most  critical 
moment  in  life.  The  rough-looking  and  appar 
ently  unfeeling  redskins  could  only  with  the 
greatest  difficulty  refrain  from  weeping  as  they 
took  leave  of  their  friends,  or  as  they  were  send 
ing  messages  to  their  absent  relatives.  They  were 
especially  deeply  moved  and  sad  when  they  spoke 
of  their  women  and  children.  Otherwise  they 
seemed  perfectly  prepared  to  meet  death.  The 
expressions  of  their  sentiments  are  very  interesting. 

Ta-te-mi-na,  an  old  Indian,  wanted  his  relatives 
to  be  told  not  to  lament  over  his  death.  "I  am 
old/'  said  he,  "  and  would  not  live  long  anyway. 
This  execution  cannot  shorten  my  days  much.  I 
die  innocent.  My  hands  are  not  stained  with  the 
blood  of  the  whites;  and  this  gives  me  hope  to  be 
saved  in  the  great  beyond.  I  hope  my  friends 
will  regard  my  death  as  a  passage  into  a  better 
world.  I  have  every  hope  to  enter  directly  into 
the  home  of  the  Great  Spirit,  where  I  will  be 
happy  for  ever." 

When  Bed  Iron,  chief  of  the  Sissetons,  who, 
together  with  chief  A-ki-pa,  had  labored  to  pre 
vent  the  Indians  from  going  on  the  war-path,  took 
leave  of  the  condemned  chief  Ta-zoo,  the  latter 
said  to  them:  "Friends,  last  summer  you  were 


148  THE  INDIANS*   REVENGE;    OR 

against  us.  You  were  constantly  dreading  an 
outbreak  of  those  who  were  determined  to  destroy 
the  whites.  Yourselves  and  your  relatives  were 
exposed  to  many  threats  and  insults;  but  you  were 
firm  in  your  friendship  for  the  whites,  and 
advised  the  Indians  not  to  make  war  upon  them. 
Your  actions  were  condemned  at  the  time,  but 
now  we  recognize  your  wisdom.  You  were  right 
when  you  said  that  the  whites  could  not  be  anni 
hilated,  and  it  was  madness  to  attempt  it.  You 
were  then  with  your  families,  and  your  lives  were 
in  danger.  *  To-day  you  are  here  at  liberty,  giv 
ing  us  food  and  helping  to  watch  us,  and  thirty- 
nine  of  us  will  have  to  die  in  two  days,  because  we 
refused  to  listen  to  your  advice  and  follow  your 
example. 

On  Friday  morning,  when  Father  Kavoux  en 
couraged  the  Indians  to  face  death  bravely,  old 
Ta-zoo  broke  out  into  a  sad  lamentation,  and 
all  the  others  fell  in.  It  was  neither  a  voice  of 
despair  nor  an  expression  of  sorrow,  but  rather  a 
paroxysm  of  savage  passion,  and  made  such  an 
impression  upon  eye  and  ear  that  even  those  who 
did  not  understand  the  words  could  feel  the 
meaning.  Sometimes  they  would  interrupt  their 
wailing  by  a  smoke,  during  which  they  sat 
motionless  and  in  profound  silence,  which  was 


*  Those  chiefs,  among  whom  were  Bed  Horn,  A-ki-pa, 
Other  Day  and  Ta-tan-ka-nazin,  were  regarded  as  traitors  by 
the  Indians,  and  were  constantly  watched  because  they  were 
friendly  towards  the  whites. 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER. 

interrupted  only  by  an  occasional  murmur  and 
the  rattling  of  their  chains.  At  times  a  laugh 
could  be  heard  when  their  friends  wished  the  one 
or  the  other  a  happy  journey  into  the  land  of  the 
Great  Spirit.  They  gave  their  pipes  and  trinkets 
to  their  intimate  friends.  They  took  great  pains 
in  decorating  themselves  for  the  last  moment, 
making  use  of  little  pocket  mirrors  and  decking 
their  hair  with  feathers  and  ribbons.  They  also 
painted  their  faces  with  great  care.  Most  of  them 
wore  religious  emblems:  crosses,  rosaries  and 
medals.  When  they  shook  hands  with  their 
friends  for  the  last  time,  they  pointed  toward 
heaven,  saying:  "  We  are  going  upward." 

Their  fetters  were  now  removed  and  their  arms 
pinioned.  Soon  after  9  o'clock  Father  Kavoux 
entered  the  prison.  The  guard  withdrew,  and  they 
stood  up  in  rows.  After  a  short  exhortation  the 
good  Father  knelt  down  and  prayed  with  them, 
They  all  prayed  aloud.  During  these  religious 
exercises  they  appeared  to  be  men  of  a  different 
race.  Their  voices  were  soft  and  mild,  and  every 
semblance  of  the  Indian  warrior  was  gone.  The 
gallows  on  which  the  thirty-nine  were  to  die 
together  was  a  large  square  structure,  erected  on 
Front  street  in  the  town  of  Mankato,  and  on  the 
east  bank  of  the  Minnesota.  It  was  so  arranged 
that  the  cutting  of  one  rope  would  cause  them  all 
to  swing  in  the  air.  As  soon  as  the  Sheriff  opened 
the  prison  door  to  lead  them  out  they  followed 
cheerfully.  It  seemed  as  if  the  news  of  a  pardon 


150  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;  OR 

could  not  have  induced  them  to  leave  their  prison 
more  readily  than  this  summons  to  death  did. 
They  ascended  the  scaffold  in  haste  such  as  if  they 
were  afraid  of  being  left  behind.  They  were 
almost  continually  singing  their  melancholy  songs, 
and  only  here  and  there  a  shrill  yell  was  heard. 
As  soon  as  the  white  caps  were  drawn  over  their 
faces  there  ensued  a  scene  which  is  very  hard  to 
describe.  All  began  to  sing,  and  although  there 
appeared  many  a  dissonance,  it  was  a  singularly 
doleful  harmony.  The  fatal  trap-door  was  now 
about  to  be  sprung.  Their  trembling  forms  were 
moving  to  and  fro,  and,  although  bound,  they 
tried  to  take  one  another  by  the  hand,  which 
several  succeeded  in  doing,  since  they  stood  so 
close  together.  Three  or  four  would  thus  cling 
together,  and  their  hands  would  go  up  and  down 
with  the  rise  and  fall  of  their  voices.  An  old  man 
tried  in  vain  to  reach  the  hand  of  his  companion 
in  death,  and  this  greatly  roused  the  sympathy  of 
the  spectators.  Every  one  called  out  his  own 
name,  and  wanted  to  hear  the  name  of  his  friend, 
which  was  as  much  as  to  say:  "I  am  here.'* 

Major  Brown  gave  the  signal  that  everything 
was  ready.  The  beating  of  a  drum,  which  could 
hardly  be  heard  above  the  voices  of  the  dying — and 
all  was  over  !  The  rope  which  was  fastened  to 
the  trap-door  was  cut  by  J.  Duly  of  Lake  Shetek. 
The  Indians  had  killed  three  of  his  children 
and  taken  his  wife  and  two  other  children  cap 
tive.  For  half  a  minute  the  bodies  hung  there 


DAYS  OF  HOBBOB  ON  THE  FBONTIEB.      151 

motionless,  only  trembling  a  little,  After  a  minute 
some  drew  up  their  feet  once  or  twice  and  then 
moved  no  more.  One  of  them  was  still  breathing 
after  ten  minutes,  and  only  after  re-arranging  the 
rope  around  his  neck  did  he  breathe  his  last.  After 
the  bodies  had  been  examined  by  the  physicians, 
a  few  mule  teams  were  driven  up  and  the  bodies 
were  conveyed  to  their  common  grave  below  the 
town. 

A  very  large  number  of  people  and  a  great 
many  soldiers  witnessed  the  scene,  the  like  of 
which  will  probably  never  again  take  place.  The 
execution  of  thirty-nine  at  the  same  moment,  and 
by  one  and  the  same  instrument  of  death,  stands  a 
solitary  fact  in  the  history  of  our  country. 


'CHAPTER  XIV. 

General  Events. — Suabian  Settlement.— A  Church  and  its 
Shadow. — Vincent  Bruner's  Drive. — Fugitives  from 
Lafayette.— Many  Murders.— A  Faithful  Dog.— West 
Newton. — Maria  Hartmann's  Account. — Florian  Hart- 
mann's  Death. — A  Friend  after  Weeks  of  Solitude. — 
Strangling  of  the  Faithful  Dog.  —Bread  and  Berries. — 
New  Love  for  Life. — A  Loaf  oE  Bread  between  Four 
Dead  Bodies. — A  Walk  among  the  Dead. — Safety. — 
Again  among  Men. 

THIS  ends  the  history  of  the  outbreak,  as  far 
as  New  Ulm  is  concerned.  The  author, 
however,  deems  it  of  interest  to  the  reader  to  add 
a  few  facts  in  connection  with  other  places.  This 
will  also  serve  to  give  a  better  understanding  of 
the  massacre.  This  work  cannot  lay  claim  to  a 
full  account  of  the  outbreak.  There  were  thou 
sands  of  persons  connected  with  it,  and  the  story 
of  each  would  be  an  interesting  recital.  It  is  a 
pity  that  some  able  writer  does  not  undertake  the 
task  of  gathering  all  the  interesting  facts  con 
nected  with  the  massacre,  and  in  due  form  hand 
them  down  to  posterity. 

During  the  year  1855,  a  party  of  courageous 
emigrants  from  Suabia  settled  on  the  beautiful 
prairie  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Minnesota,  six 
miles  northwest  of  New  Ulm.  A  few  Bavarians, 
and  later  on,  some  German  Bohemians,  joined 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.      153 

them.  On  the  spot  where  the  magnificent  Catho 
lic  church  now  stands,  there  was  at  the  time  an 
old  log  cabin  which  they  called  a  church.  Beside 
the  cabin  was  a  saloon  in  which  the  Suabians  were 
wont  to  seek  consolation  for  their  bodies,  if  the 
absence  of  the  priest  deprived  them  of  food  for 
the  soul.  The  saloon  belonged  to  Jacob  Manerle, 
from  "Wurtemberg.  One  of  his  relatives,  Vincent 
Bruner,  had  a  farm  two  miles  west  of  the  church. 
On  the  18th  of  August  he  was  hauling  wheat  into 
his  barn.  At  dinner-time  an  Indian  named  Dick 
inson  came  down  from  the  Lower  Agency.  He 
came  there  by  mistake,  having  taken  the  wrong 
road  on  his  way  to  New  Ulm,  and  asked  Bruner 
for  a  team  to  go  to  New  Ulm  where  he  had  press 
ing  business  to  attend  to.  Bruner  refused,  but 
offered  to  go  with  him  to  a  neighbor  who  had  time 
to  spare  to  bring  him  to  town.  Dickinson  then 
told  Bruner  that  he  wanted  to  procure  soldiers,  for 
the  Indians  had  gone  on  the  war-path.  Bruner 
then  hitched  up  his  team  and  went  with  him. 
Beaching  the  river  bottom  they  commenced  to 
talk  with  the  neighbors,  and  while  doing  so,  the 
report  of  fire-arms  was  heard.  Bruner  said  he 
would  have  to  turn  back  to  warn  his  neighbors 
and  protect  his  family.  Dickinson  then  said  he 
might  go  back  if  he  wanted  to,  but  he  would  keep 
the  horse  and  wagon;  if  that  was  not  satisfactory 
he  would  kill  him.  They  now  drove  as  fast  as 
possible  towards  New  Ulm,  which  was  then  only 
three  miles  distant.  Dickinson  had  promised  to 


154  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;  OB 

pay   him  well  for  this  trouble,  but  he  did  not. 
Dickinson  was  afterwards  killed. 

Near  New  Ulm  they  met  three  Indians  who 
laughed  at  them  because  they  came  in  such  haste. 
They  found  the  people  of  New  Ulm  in  a  state  of 
great  excitement,  for  they  were  engaged  in  making 
preparations  for  defense  against  their  enemy,  the 
news  of  the  murders  near  Henle's  place  having 
just  reached  them.  A  little  later  Zicher  and 
Eupke  arrived,  announcing  the  death  of  their 
companions  and  asking  for  help.  Upon  Zich'er's 
advice  Bruner  drove  back  across  the  lower  ferry  to 
West  Newton,  and  taking  the  road  that  leads 
across  the  high  lands,  he  hurried  to  his  house. 
He  gave  the  news  to  those  who  were  working  in 
the  fields;  but  they  did  not  believe  him,  and  he 
was  even  laughed  at.  He  therefore  took  his 
family  and  removed  them  to  St.  Peter.  Messen 
gers  were  now  hurrying  from  house  to  house  pro 
claiming  the  dreadful  news  and  warning  the  set 
tlers  to  leave. 

At  Lafayette,  four  miles  from  the  church,  forty- 
five  teams  and  a  large  number  of  men,  women  and 
children  gathered  at  the  house  of  Anton  Kaus. 
On  account  of  scarcity  of  ammunition  they  left 
about  midnight  for  St.  Peter,  a  distance  of  three 
miles.  Coming  near  the  town  many  of  them 
suddenly  determined  to  go  back  to  Swan  Lake; 
and  from  there  they  could  see  great  fires  at  New 
Ulm.  Among  these  who  remained  behind  (twenty- 
three  families  in  all)  were  Epple,  Matsh  and  Vet- 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.      155 

ter,  with  some  settlers  from  Lafayette.     These 
were  anxious  to  observe  things  from  their  own 
homes,  and  for  a  while  went  back  and  forth,  not 
knowing  what  to  do.     They  could  see  Indians  on 
all  sides.     Near  Albrecht's  place  twelve  of  them 
met,  and  after  a  short  consultation  decided  to  go 
further  west.     They  slept  in  hay-stacks  that  night 
and  next  morning  returned  to  their  homes.     On 
their  way  they  found  many  houses  deserted  and 
the   doors  locked.     From   the   upper  story  of  a 
house   they   could   see   Indians   on   their  ponies 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  away.     Four  of  the  party 
having  already  left  in  the  direction  of  the  Indians, 
GL  Katzenberger  hurried   after  them   and  called 
them  back,  and  they  all  hid  in  the  woods  a  short 
distance  from  the  house.     The  Indians  came  up 
very  close  to  them.     From  their  hiding-place  they 
could  even  see  them  setting  fire  to  several  stacks 
of  grain,  barns,  and  the  splendid  structure  called 
the  Lafayette  House,  belonging  to  Anton  Kaus. 
Katzenberger  had  a  good  dog  with  him,  and  for 
fear  that  he  might   bark  and  put  the  Indians  on 
their  track  he  hung  him  to  a  tree.     Against  the 
advice   of    his  friends    Manerle   returned   home, 
believing  that  the  Indians,  with  whom  he  was  well 
acquainted,  would  not  molest  him.     His  decapi 
tated  body  was  afterwards  found  near  his  house, 
but  the  head  was  not  discovered.     For  ten  days 
his  faithful  dog  sat  beside  the  body  of  his  master. 
The  Indians,  however,  discovered  the  party  that 
were  in  hiding;  and  one  of  them  came  up  close 


156  THE  INDIANS'  KEVENGE;  OR 

and  said:  "Come  along,  boys!"  They  did  not 
obey  the  summons,  but  fled  towards  New  Ulm  and 
crossed  the  Minnesota  in  an  old  and  leaky  canoe. 
This  was  on  the  23d  of  August,  and  they  had  not 
been  at  New  Ulm  more  than  half  an  hour  when 
the  Indians  surrounded  the  town. 

Only  fourteen  houses  were  burned  at  West 
Newton;  but  the  other  places  were  completely 
destroyed  by  fire.  The  school-house  and  the 
Catholic  church  remained  intact.  Of  the  Ger 
mans  who  lived  near  New  Ulm  and  were  massacred 
in  that  county  the  author  knew  Christian  Richter, 
Max  Heck,  Fr.  Gottlieb,  Gerbeth,  John  Schwarz, 
Anna  Maria  and  Katharine  Scharz. 

Maria  Hartmann,  Henle's  sister,  now  Mrs.  J. 
Bobletter,  whose  husband,  on  the  18th  of  August, 
was  killed  on  his  farm  near  Henle's  place,  suffered 
greatly,  but4  was  fortunate  under  the  circum 
stances.  She  tells  her  own  story  as  follows: 
"My  husband,  Florian  Hartmann,  was  on  the  18th 
day  of  August  engaged  with  another  man,  John 
Bohner,  in  binding  wheat  near  our  house.  When 
I  had  their  dinner  ready  for  them  I  heard  some 
noise,  and  on  looking  out  I  could  see  houses  on 
fire,  and  also  thought  I  could  see  them  at  work 
trying  to  save  the  buildings.  At  the  same 
moment  I  heard  the  cry  "  Nippo!"  (kill)  and  the 
reports  of  several  rifles.  Thinking  the  Indians 
were  killing  some  cattle,  I  ran  out  to  see  what  was 
going  on.  An  Indian  came  close  up  to  the  housej 
stared  at  me  and  then  ran  away.  Full  of  fear  I 


DAYS  OF  HOEKOR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.      157 

hurried  towards  my  husband  who  was  about  forty 
rods  from  the  house,  and  on  crossing  the  road  I 
noticed  a  man  lying  on  the  ground  and  thought 
he  was  asleep.  It  was  Hartmann's  hired  man, 
Bohner,  and  he  was  covered  with  blood.  Look 
ing  for  my  husband  I  found  him  about  thirty  steps 
away  from  Bohner,  lying  on  the  ground.  He 
motioned  to  me  to  keep  quiet  and  to  drag  him 
into  the  corn-field,  because  he  was  shot.  Stricken 
with  fear,  I  was  powerless  to  do  it.  I  cast  myself 
down  beside  my  husband,  and  in  my  excessive 
grief  knew  not  what  to  do.  Soon  after,  two 
Indians  came  up  to  the  dying  Bohner  and  fired 
two  more  shots  at  him.  My  poor  husband  then 
begged  me  to  hide  in  the  corn-field,  because  I 
could  not  do  him  any  good  where  I  was.  I  ran 
and  hid  as  he  told  me,  digging  a  hole  in  the 
ground  with  my  hands  to  creep  in.  I  remained 
there  till  towards  evening.  Two  Indians  passed 
close  by  me,  but  did  not  notice  me. 

"About  8  o'clock  I  heard  some  one  weeping 
bitterly,  but  did  not  dare  to  leave  my  place,  think 
ing  it  might  be  an  Indian.  After  a  while  I  crept 
toward  my  husband,  and  found  him  cold  and  stiff 
in  death.  I  took  some  hair  from  his  head  as  a 
remembrance,  and  fled  into  the  woods.  Even  the 
animals  seemed  to  realize  what  was  going  on. 
"Under  a  large  oak  in  the  vicinity  of  a  spring  I 
remained  all  that  night,  and  toward  4  o'clock  in 
the  morning  I  hurried  towards  the  Minnesota  in 
order  to  escape  across  the  ferry  into  Nicolet 


158  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;  OR 

County.  But  the  boat  was  on  the  other  side  of 
the  river.  I  tried  in  vain  to  get  across  on  the 
rope,  and  so  I  had  to  hide  all  day  in  the  woods, 
and  suffered  greatly  from  the  mosquitoes.  About 
8  o'clock  in  the  evening  I  went  back  to  our  house 
and  passed  five  Indian  tepees  on  my  way. 

"I  went  into  the  house  to  take  some  clothing, 
and  in  picking  up  some  of  the  bedding  that  was 
lying  on  the  floor  I  noticed  a  wounded  Indian 
lying  thereon,  and  immediately  ran  away.  When 
I  passed  the  barn  in  my  flight  an  Indian  fired  at 
me,  but  missed  me  on  account  of  the  darkness  of 
the  night.  During  the  whole  of  that  night  and 
the  following  day  I  remained  in  concealment.  On 
the  fourth  day  it  rained  heavily.  I  was  very  tired 
and  completely  worn  out.  Such  sadness  overcame 
me  that  I  was  almost  sorry  for  not  having  found 
death  at  the  hands  of  the  Indians.  The  rain  con 
tinued  to  the  fifth  day,  and  being  completely 
drenched,  I  ventured  back  to  the  house;  but  on 
going  in  I  found  nearly  everything  gone.  However, 
I  felt  happy  to  find  some  dry  underclothing  to  put 
on.  The  hogs  were  in  their  pen  and  screamed  for 
hunger.  I  had  compassion  on  them  and  gave 
them  some  corn.  I  was  lucky  enough  to  find  a 
loaf  of  bread,  and  with  this  I  went  back  to  my 
hiding  place.  But  I  was  sorry  to  have  betrayed 
my  presence  through  my  compassion  for  the  hun 
gry  animals.  On  the  sixth  day  I  wanted  to  go 
to  the  house,  but  noticing  some  Indians  near 
the  place  I  hurried  back.  ^  During  this  and  the 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.      159 

next  day  I  heard  continual  shooting.  On  the 
evening  of  the  eighth  day  my  dog  came  to  me  and 
was  overjoyed  to  see  me.  I,  too,  rejoiced  as  if  I 
had  met  with  a  friend  in  my  terrible  loneliness. 
I  shared  the  remainder  of  my  bread  with  him. 
He  seemed  to  be  very  hungry.  But  at  the  same 
moment  the  thought  struck  me  that  he  might 
betray  my  hiding-place,  and  in  order  to  remove 
that  danger  I  took  my  apron  and  strangled  him 
with  it.  But  he  fought  so  fiercely,  that  it  was 
only  with  the  greatest  exertions  that  I  succeeded 
killing  him. 

"On  the  morning  of  the  ninth  day  I  heard  a 
great  noise  which  seemed  to  come  nearer  and 
nearer;  but  I  soon  felt  relieved  when  I  found  it  to 
be  only  a  few  hogs.  I  remained  two  more  days  in 
my  concealment,  and  hardly  dared  to  go  a  hun 
dred  steps  farther.  In  my  terrible  condition,  liv 
ing  on  a  little  bread  and  wild  berries,  life  seemed 
to  have  new  charms.  I  enjoyed  the  singing  of  the 
birds,  and  thanked  my  Creator  and  prayed  for  the 
preservation  of  my  life. 

"A  strange  presentiment  made  me  leave  my 
hiding  place  on  the  twelfth  day.  I  went  to  the 
homes  of  my  brothers,  and  to  that  of  Casimir, 
but  found  them  all  empty.  A  terrible  sight  pre 
sented  itself  to  me  in  Zettel's  house.  There  I 
found  the  bodies  of  the  father  and  his  four  child- 
dren,  and  between  them  a  loaf  of  bread.  I  was 
very  hungry  and  greatly  desired  to  take  the  bread, 
but  the  odor  of  the  corpses  was  so  repulsive  that 


160  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;   OR 

I  could  not  eat  it.  In  Pelzl's  house  I  found  the 
dead  bodies  of  his  father  and  of  a  woman.  A. 
short  distance  from  the  house  I  found  the  bodies 
of  old  Messmer  and  of  a  girl.  In  Anton  Henle's 
house  lay  the  body  of  one  of  his  children.  The 
air  was  everywhere  filled  with  the  stench  of  the 
corpses. 

"  I  now  determined  to  go  to  New  Ulm,  six 
miles  distant.  In  the  cemetery  I  noticed  a  white 
flag,  which  filled  me  with  courage  and  hope.  But 
when  I  came  near  town  and  noticed  that  many 
buildings  had  been  burned  down  and  the  town 
was  deserted,  new  fear  and  anxiety  overcame  me. 
I  did  not  go  farther,  but  returned  immediately  to 
my  hiding-place  because  I  was  afraid  I  might 
meet  Indians  in  town.  At  7  o'clock  in  the  evening 
I  was  again  at  my  brother  Anton's  house,  from 
which  I  could  hear  a  great  noise.  I  went  in 
because  I  thought  1  would  have  to  die  anyway. 
The  noise,  however,  was  caused  by  all  sorts  of 
animals  that  had  gathered  in  the  house. 

"  From  there  I  went  to  my  own  house,  and 
to  bed,  and  reproached  myself  for  having  gone 
away  so  far.  On  the  following  day  I  searched  for 
some  potatoes;  but  it  was  only  with  great  difficulty, 
and  after  going  to  two  other  houses,  that  I  could 
find  a  match.  As  soon  as  I  had  found  some 
matches,  I  returned  to  my  house,  feeling  rich  and 
happy,  and  prepared  a  soup.  I  had  two  matches 
left,  and  for  fear  that  I  might  lose  them,  I  kept 
up  a  fire  at  a  stump  near  by. 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.      161 

"  On  the  fourteenth  day  I  found  some  eggs  and  a 
sack  of  flour,  but  could  not  make  use  of  the  flour. 
After  that  I  remained  in- doors  most  of  the  time. 
An  ox  came  up  to  the  house  with  an  ugly  wound. 
I  washed  the  wound  and  the  animal  got  well.  A 
calf  had  one  of  its  eyes  shot  out  and  died.  I  then 
began  to  gather  plums  and  nuts  and  dig  pota 
toes,  because  I  had  lost  all  hopes  of  being  rescued, 
and  wanted  to  provide  for  the  winter.  I  was 
under  the  impression  that  all  the  settlers  had  been 
put  to  death. 

"  On  the  seventeenth  day  I  went  to  look  for  the 
body  of  my  husband,  and,  on  my  way  thither,  I 
heard  some  shooting  and  the  barking  of  dogs.  I 
almost  fainted  on  looking  up  and  seeing  eight  men 
come  towards  me.  One  of  them  leveled  his  gun, 
and  now  I  thought  I  would  after  all  have  to  die. 
But  the  cry:  '  O  sister  !'  roused  me  again,  and  in 
a  moment  I  was  in  the  arms  of  my  brother  Atha- 
nasius,  who  had  taken  me  for  a  squaw  on  account 
of  the  change  my  sufferings  and  anxieties  had 
brought  upon  me.  Fortunately  I  knew  of  an  old 
wagon  near  by  which  had  been  left  by  the  Indians. 
My  brother  had  only  a  sled  for  his  horse.  The 
wagon  was  fixed  up  and  we  went  to  town  with  it, 
where  I  again  enjoyed  the  society  of  human 
beings,  of  which  I  had  been  deprived  for  more 
than  a  fortnight." 


CHAPTER  XV. 


Justina  Krieger's  Adventures. — The  Families  Buss  and  Bosbe 
Massacred. — A  Crowd  of  Fugitives. — A  Pregnant 
Woman  Cut  Open  and  the  Child  Nailed  to  a  Tree. — A 
Three-year  old  Child  sits  beside  the  Dead  Body  of  its 
Mother. — To  Fort  Eidgely. — A  Judas  Kiss. — Betraying 
Indians. — Money  and  Life. — A  Wholesale  Massacre. — 
The  Women  Requested  to  go  with  the  Indians. — They 
are  Shot.— Others  Killed  with  Tomahawks  and  Eifle- 
stocks. — Mrs.  Krieger  Shot. — "  Papa,  don't  sleep  so  long. 
—Deserted  Children.— A  Frightful  Hospital.— Flight 
into  the  Woods. — The  Dead  Stripped  by  the  Indians. — 
A  House  with  seven  sick  Children  Burned. — Flight  to 
Fort  Bidgely. — Terrible  Sufferings  of  the  Fugitives. — 
Safety  after  many  long  days. — Mrs.  Krieger's  Terrible 
Night, — Undressed  with  the  Sword. — Fearful  Butchery 
of  Wilhelmina  Kitzman.— Twelve  Terrible  Days.— Final 
Eescue. — In  Fort  Eidgely. 

A  MONG  the  adventures  of  those  settlers  who 
JL\.  lived  at  a  distance  from  New  Ulm,  the  story 
of  Justina  Krieger  is  probably  the  most  interest 
ing.  She  came  from  Posen  in  Germany,  where 
she  was  born  on  the  17th  of  July,  1835.  Her  first 
husband  died  in  Germany,  leaving  her  with  four 
children,  two  boys  and  two  girls.  After  coming 
to  this  country  she  married  in  Wisconsin  one 
Frederick  Krieger,  and  bore  him  three  children. 
In  the  spring  of  1862  they  came  to  the  Upper 
Minnesota  River,  forty-five  miles  from  New  Ulm, 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.      163 

and  twenty-seven  miles  from  Fort  Kidgely.  On 
the  18th  of  August,  1862,  her  husband  being 
absent  from  home,  two  men  came  to  her  house 
and  told  her  that  they  had  found  a  woman  and 
two  children  lying  dead  by  the  road-side.  Arti 
cles  of  furniture  were  lying  around,  and  there  was 
every  indication  of  their  having  been  murdered. 
They  had  just  come  from  the  Lower  Agency,  and 
immediately  went  back  to  the  scene  of  the  murder 
in  order  to  find  out  how  it  happened.  Entering 
the  house  of  a  farmer  named  Buss,  they  found 
him  and  his  wife  and  their  three  children  dead. 
They  also  found  the  owner  of  the  next  house, 
Mannweiler,  tying  dead  near  his  dwelling.  He 
had  been  shot  through  the  breast.  At  John 
Kosbe's  place  they  found  his  body  and  that  of  his 
wife  lying  near  a  grindstone,  where  they  had 
been  murdered  whilst  sharpening  a  scythe.  Two 
small  children  with  their  heads  split  open  were 
lying  near  their  dead  mother.  From  there  they 
could  see  many  houses  at  a  distance,  and  not  no 
ticing  any  signs  of  life  anywhere,  they  concluded 
that  this  was  the  work  of  the  Indians.  They  then 
returned  to  the  house  of  Justina  Krieger,  whose 
husband  was  absent  in  company  with  his  nephew 
on  a  fishing  excursion.  Justina  took  her  children 
and  hurried  to  the  house  of  her  brother,  Paul 
Kitzmann.  The  two  men  ran  through  the  woods 
to  their  families.  Frederick  Krieger  and  his 
nephew  heard  their  calls,  and  soon  returned  to 


164  THE  INDIANS'  BEVENGE;  OB 

their  house  where  the  woman  had  sought  refuge 
with  her  children. 

The  older  children  were  hurriedly  sent  to  the 
neighbors  with  the  terrible  news,  and  inside  of  an 
hour  thirteen  families  had  gathered  at  Kitzmann's 
place.  It  was  about  8  o'clock  on  Monday  evening, 
August  the  18th,  and  all  determined  to  fly  to  Fort 
Eidgely.  When  they  noticed  that  Schwandt,  one 
of  the  neighbors,  was  missing,  they  sent  messen 
gers  to  him.  As  they  approached  the  place  they 
saw  every  indication  that  the  house  had  been 
robbed.  Schwandt's  son-in-law  was  lying  on  the 
door  steps  with  three  bullets  in  his  body.  His 
wife  (Schwandt's  daughter),  who  had  been  with 
child,  was  found  dead,  her  womb  cut  open  and 
the  unborn  child  nailed  to  a  tree.  Her  brother,  a 
thirteen-year-old  lad,  whom  the  Indians  thought 
they  had  killed,  saw  how  the  child  was  taken 
alive  from  the  womb  of  his  sister,  and  nailed  to 
the  tree,  where  it  lived  for  a  little  while.  This 
terrible  deed  was  done  in  the  forenoon  of  August 
the  18th.  The  mother  was  found  in  the  field, 
beheaded.  Beside  her  lay  the  body  of  their  hired 
man,  Foss.  Towards  evening  the  boy  regained  a 
little  strength  and  fled  into  the  next  settlement, 
a  distance  of  three  miles.  He  entered  Bushe's 
house  only  to  find  some  thirty  corpses,  and  among 
them  a  three-year-old  child,  wounded,  and  sitting 
beside  its  dead  mother.  The  boy  took  the 
child  with  him,  carried  it  about  four  miles,  and, 
being  unable  to  take  it  farther,  left  it  at  a  house, 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.      165 

promising  to  return  the  next  morning.  He  did 
this  in  order  to  be  able  to  save  himself.  He  made 
good  his  escape  to  Fort  Ridgely,  traveling  for  four 
nights,  and  hiding  during  the  day.  The  child  was 
afterwards  found  in  captivity  among  the  Indians, 
and  was  brought  to  Fort  Bidgely,  where  it  died 
from  the  effects  of  its  wounds  and  exposure. 

The  messengers  returned  from  Schwandt's 
place  with  the  blood-stained  coat  belonging  to 
Fross,  and  all  hurried  as  quickly  as  possible 
towards  Fort  Ridgely.  In  order  to  escape  danger 
they  did  not  take  the  straight  road  leading  to  the 
fort.  They  traveled  all  night,  and  about  8  o'clock 
next  morning  they  found  that  they  were  only 
about  fourteen  miles  from  home.  There  were 
eleven  men  in  the  company,  armed  with  common 
shotguns.  The  wagons  were  so  arranged  that  they 
should  offer  the  best  possible  protection  as  they 
moved  along.  They  met  eight  Indians  on  horse 
back,  some  naked  and  some  covered  with  blankets, 
but  all  well  armed.  The  men  were  determined  to 
open  fire  on  them;  but  when  they  came  to  within 
a  hundred  steps  they  gave  signs  not  to  shoot,  and 
made  the  men  believe  that  they  were  friendly  dis 
posed. 

One  of  the  Indians,  who  was  well  acquainted 
with  Paul  Kitzmann,  rode  up  and  shook  him  by 
the  hand,  and,  as  a  sign  of  the  greatest  friendship, 
he  kissed  him.  Oh,  what  a  Judas  kiss  !  '  The 
Indian  asked  them  in  English  where  they  wanted 
to  go.  After  having  received  an  answer,  the 


166  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;  OB 

Indian  said  that  the  Chippewas  of  Northern  Min 
nesota  had  gone  on  the  war-path,  and  that  they, 
the  Sioux,  were  after  them  in  order  to  punish 
them.  They  advised  them  not  to  go  farther,  but 
to  return  to  their  homes  unless  they  wanted  to  be 
killed.  At  the  same  time  he  put  his  hand  on 
Kitzmann's  shoulder  and  said:  "You  are  a  good 
man.  It  would  be  a  pity  if  you  were  to  be  killed." 
The  thirteen  families,  however,  insisted  upon 
going  to  Fort  Eidgely,  until  this  Indian  went 
around  and  took  each  one  by  the  hand,  telling 
them  not  to  be  afraid,  and  that  they  would  protect 
them.  Kitzmann  had  often  been  on  a  hunt  with 
this  Indian,  and  had  great  confidence  in  him. 
When  he  saw  he  had  gained  his  point,  he  called 
the  other  Indians  to  shake  hands  with  the  people, 
and  they  all  asked  the  mothers  to  quiet  the  chil 
dren,  who  were  greatly  alarmed  at  seeing  the  sav 
age-looking  redskins  drawing  near. 

The  Indians  appeared  so  very  friendly  that  the 
settlers  really  believed  all  they  said,  and  they  laid 
their  guns  in  the  wagons.  After  partaking  to 
gether  of  a  meal  consisting  of  bread  and  milk  the 
whites  gave  the  Indians  some  money,  and  they 
determined  to  turn  back.  After  they  had  gone 
back  together  about  six  miles  the  Indians  were 
asked  whether  they  could  not  take  a  rest  and  let 
their  teams  eat  something.  The  Indians  very  will 
ingly  agreed  to  that  and  asked  for  something  to 
eat.  They  gave  them  bread,  butter  and  water 
melons  and  the  Indians  withdrew  for  about  a 


DATS  OP  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.      167 

quarter  of  a  mile  and  ate  alone.  After  they  had 
eaten  they  returned  and  wanted  the  whites  to 
move.  Paul  Kitzmann  was  requested  to  tell  them 
to  go  on  and  not  to  be  afraid;  that  they  (the 
Indians)  would  soon  follow,  and  not  leave  them, 
but  protect  them  until  they  had  reached  their 
homes  again. 

After  a  while  the  Indians  rode  up  to  them  and 
at  once  surrounded  the  whole  train.  The  poor 
people  were  terrified  at  this  unexpected  movement, 
and  communicated  to  each  other  their  fears.  It  was 
thought  best  by  the  majority  to  open  fire  on  them. 
But  they  had  laid  down  their  guns,  and  not  one  of 
them  dared  to  look  for  his  for  fear  that  such  a 
move  would  incite  the  Indians  to  an  immediate 
attack.  Notwithstanding  this  difficulty  they  were 
all  determined  to  open  fire,  except  Kitzmann,  who 
had  a  great  deal  of  confidence  in  the  promises  of 
the  savages.  "  Moreover,"  said  he,  "  the  Indians, 
who  carry  their  rifles  in  their  hands,  would  kill  us 
all  before  we  could  get  our  guns  out  of  our 
wagons." 

When  they  reached  the  place  where  the  first  dead 
bodies  had  been  found  on  Monday  afternoon  the 
Indians  became  greatly  excited,  and  all,  except 
one,  placed  themselves  on  a  line  behind  the  train, 
as  if  in  readiness  for  an  attack,  and  demanded 
their  money.  One  of  them  went  round  and  col 
lected  the  money.  Justina  Krieger  gave  her  hus 
band  five  dollars  and  kept  the  remainder.  Her 
husband  told  her  he  had  to  die  now,  and  gave  her 


168  THE  INDIANS'  KEVENGE;   OR 

his  pocket-knife  as  a  remembrance.  After  the 
Indians  had  collected  the  money  they  rode  away 
towards  the  settlement  where  the  dead  bodies  lay. 

The  families  went  towards  their  homes,  and 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  Krieger's  place  they 
found  the  dead  bodies  of  two  men  who  had  just 
been  killed.  No  one  knew  them;  but  it  was 
evident  that  they  had  been  murdered  by  the 
Indians  who  accompanied  them.  They  now 
understood  that  they  all  had  to  die.  The  men 
took  their  guns  and  desired  to  move  to  a  place 
where  they  could  best  defend  themselves.  On 
coming  within  about  a  hundred  yards  of  Krieger's 
place  some  thirteen  or  fourteen  Indians  suddenly 
came  upon  them  from  behind,  surrounded  the 
train  and  opened  fire  on  them.  All  the  men 
except  three  fell  dead  at  the  first  volley.  The 
three  who  remained  alive  were :  Fross,  Zobel  and 
Krieger. 

The  Indians  now  declared  that  they  would  spare 
the  women  on  condition  that  they  would  go  with 
them,  but  that  they  would  kill  those  who  refused. 
Some  consented  and  others  refused.  Justina 
Krieger  declared  that  she  would  rather  die  with 
her  husband  and  children  than  go  with  them. 
Her  husband  advised  her  to  go,  but  she  refused. 
One  of  the  women  who  went  with  the  Indians 
turned  back  and  asked  her  to  come  along.  But 
on  walking  back  a  few  steps  she  was  shot,  together 
with  six  other  women  and  two  of  the  three  men. 
Krieger  was  now  the  only  man  alive.  The  living 


TA-TANKA-NAZIN,  (STANDING  BUFFALO) 

A  hereditary  Chief  of  the  Sissetons,  who 

remained  loval  to  the  Government. 


DAYS  OP  HORROR  ON  THE  TRONTIEB.      169 

now  stood  by  their  wagons  bewailing  their  dead, 
and  their  own  misfortune  not  to  be  among  them. 
The  Indians  came  up  and  with  their  rifle-stocks 
brought  them  to  the  ground.  Some  of  them 
would  rise  up,  the  blood  streaming  from  their 
faces;  but  they  were  knocked  down  again  until 
they  were  dead. 

Justina  Krieger  stood  in  her  wagon,  constantly 
refusing  to  go  with  the  Indians,  although  her  hus 
band,  who  knew  that  they  would  kill  him,  begged 
her  to  go.  He  noticed  one  of  the  Indians  level 
ing  his  rifle  at  him,  whilst  another  who  stood 
close  behind  him  did  the  same,  and  in  an  instant 
two  bullets  pierced  his  body,  one  of  which  passed 
through  his  wife's  garments.  He  fell  between  his 
oxen  and  received  two  more  shots.  Justina 
Krieger  was  in  the  act  of  throwing  herself  over  the 
body  of  her  husband  in  order  to  die  with  him, 
when  she  fell  backwards  into  her  wagon.  Seven 
teen  buck-shot  were  imbedded  in  her  body.  She 
had  eight  children  with  her.  The  baby  was  cov 
ered  with  a  blanket.  The  Indians  took  hold  of 
her,  pulled  her  out  of  the  wagon  and  left  her  for 
dead.  She  did  not  regain  consciousness  until  it 
was  quite  dark.  One  of  her  step-children,  a  girl 
of  thirteen,  found  the  baby  some  fifteen  feet  from 
the  wagon,  and  she  made  good  her  escape  with  it. 
The  Indians  took  two  of  the  children  with  them. 
A  four-year-old  boy  escaped,  and,  coming  back, 
took  his  dead  father  by  the  hand  and  said  pitifully : 
8 


170  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;  OR 

"  Papa,  papa,  don't  sleep  so  long  !"  Two  of  the 
Indians  rode  up  and  took  him  away. 

Two  of  their  children  ran  into  the  woods.  One 
was  eight  and  the  other  seven  years  old.  From 
the  top  of  a  tree  the  former  told  his  little  brother 
that  their  mother  was  also  dead.  He  could  see 
the  Indians  at  their  awful  work.  They  both 
began  to  weep  bitterly;  but  another  boy,  August 
Geist,  begged  them  to  be  quiet,  for  if  the  Indians 
would  hear  them  they  would  certainly  be  killed. 
These  poor  children  remained  in  their  conceal 
ment  for  three  days,  and  could  often  see  the 
Indians  go  up  and  down.  After  that  they  came 
forth  from  their  hiding-place  and  went  from  house 
to  house  to  set  free  all  the  stock  that  they  found 
inclosed.  On  Wednesday  morning,  August  20th, 
they  noticed  Krieger's  house  on  fire.  After  the 
third  night  they  concluded  to  go  to  Fort  Kidgely, 
which  they  reached  after  eight  days,  traveling 
during  the  night  and  hiding  amid  the  tall  grass 
during  the  day.  One  day  they  saw  a  wagon  at  a 
distance,  and,  believing  the  people  to  be  white 
men,  were  on  the  point  of  running  up  to  them 
when  suddenly  they  noticed  a  large  number  of 
Indians  emerging  from  the  grass.  The  wagon 
now  turned  in  another  direction,  and  the  shrill 
voice  of  a  dying  woman  was  distinctly  heard. 

They  found  many  dead  bodies  on  their  way,  and 
among  them  seven  dead  Indians  laid  in  a  row. 
Four  of  Mrs.  Krieger's  children,  of  whom  the 
eldest  carried  the  baby  in  her  arms,  met  in  the 


DAYS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.      171 

woods.  Two  of  them,  who  were  thought  to  be 
dead,  were  left  behind;  but  they  soon  recovered  a 
little.  The  three  older  ones  left  the  baby  in 
charge  of  their  six-year-old  sister  and  returned  to 
the  scene  of  the  murders,  where  they  found  seven 
children  and  one  woman  alive.  These  were :  a  son 
of  Paul  Kitzmann,  two  a  half  years  old;  two  sons 
of  August  Harning,  one  three  and  the  other  one 
year  old;  a  one-year-old  son  and  a  four-year-old 
daughter  of  John  Grundmann;  two  sons  of  Thiele, 
one  four  years  old  and  the  other  younger,  and  a 
thirteen-year-old  son  of  Urban.  These  were  all 
wounded  and  covered  with  blood.  The  tomahawk 
had  done  the  inhuman  work.  A  woman  named 
Anna  Zabel  was  also  wounded.  All  these  were 
removed  by  the  three  girls  into  Krieger's  house. 
It  was  a  sad  hospital,  and  for  the  little  ones 
(among  them  a  baby),  no  nourishment  could  be 
found  anywhere.  The  matron  of  this  hospital  was 
less  than  thirteen  years  old.  The  poor  children 
wepfc  bitterly  for  their  mothers,  some  of  whom 
were  dead  and  the  others  in  a  captivity  worse  than 
death.  The  four-year-old  daughter  of  Grund 
mann  had  lost  one  of  her  hands,  and  amid  tears 
and  sobs  she  would  say:  "  Mamma  always  took 
such  good  care  of  me,  and  now  that  I  have  lost 
my  hand,  she  does  not  want  to  come  to  me." 
Poor  child  !  Your  good  mother  was  no  more 
among  the  living.  Early  in  the  morning  Mrs. 
Zabel  told  the  children  to  go  back  into  the  woods, 
as  it  was  not  safe  for  them  to  remain  at  the  house. 


172  THE   INDIANS*    REVENGE;    OB 

The  eldest  of  the  girls  called  her  two  step-sisters 
and  the  thirteen-year-old  August  Urban,  and  tak 
ing  also  the  baby,  they  crossed  the  field  of  blood, 
and  entered  the  woods  once  more. 

Mrs.  Krieger  was  still  lying  among  the  dead,  at 
times  partly  conscious  but  unable  to  move.  The 
children,  on  passing  the  place,  noticed  a  man  com 
ing  towards  them  on  horseback.  He  was  a  half- 
breed  named  Frenier,  but  the  children  took  him 
for  an  Indian  and  hid  in  the  grass.  When  Fren 
ier  noticed  the  dead  he  appeared  to  be  stricken 
with  terror  and  hastily  rode  away.  Meanwhile 
Mrs.  Zabel  had  joined  the  young  fugitives,  and 
they  were  hiding  amid  the  tall  grass  near  a  small 
creek.  The  Indians  now  drove  up  with  a  team  of 
oxen  which  they  had  taken  from  the  poor  victims 
the  day  before.  They  began  to  strip  the  dead  of 
their  clothing  and  set  fire  to  the  house  in  which 
the  seven  wounded  children  had  been  left.  The 
little  company  witnessed  it  all  from  their  hiding- 
place. 

After  the  Indians  had  left  again,  the  poor 
children,  driven  to  it  by  hunger,  went  into  Thiele's 
house,  where  they  were  fortunate  enough  to  find 
flour  and  butter,  and  they  prepared  a  meal  for 
themselves  and  the  baby.  For  three  days  they 
roamed  about  in  the  woods.  On  the  third  day 
they  saw  some  Indians  plundering  the  house  of 
August  Fross.  They  had  left  the  baby  asleep  in 
Thiele's  house.  Mrs.  Zabel  and  the  children  now 
decided  to  go  to  Fort  Eidgely,  which  place  they 


DATS  OP  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.      173 

reached  after  eleven  days.  During  that  time  they 
lived  on  corn  and  water  which  they  carried  with 
them  in  a  kettle.  When  they  came  near  the  Fort 
they  did  not  recognize  the  place  and  thought  it 
was  an  Indian  village. 

During  the  last  day  the  six-year-old  daughter  of 
Krieger  was  so  completely  exhausted  that  she 
could  no  longer  stand  up.  Mrs.  Zabel  advised 
the  other  girls  to  leave  her  behind,  but  the  child 
ren  wept  and  lamented  so  bitterly  that  it  could 
not  be  done.  They  brought  the  child  to  a  creek, 
and  on  pouring  water  over  her  head  she  recovered 
a  little.  They  remained  there  a  while,  and  on 
finding  a  piece  of  water-melon  which  they  gave 
her,  she  recovered  sufficiently  to  continue  the 
journey. 

On  a  hill  near  the  Fort  they  were  arguing 
whether  it  was  the  Fort  or  an  Indian  village.  The 
children  judged  correctly,  but  Mrs.  Zabel  was  so 
overcome  by  fear  that  she  looked  for  the  worst. 
The  children  said  that  they  could  distinctly  see 
soldiers.  The  soldiers  had  also  noticed  the  little 
company,  and  they  came  out  at  once  to  get  them. 
Mrs.  Zabel,  however,  believed  them  to  be  Indians, 
and,  summoning  her  remaining  strength,  ran 
across  the  prairie  as  fast  as  she  could.  The  sol 
diers  had  to  run  after  her  and  bring  her  back. 

They  were  now  safe.  But  what  a  spectacle  to 
behold  I  Tomahawks,  rifle-stocks  and  knives  had 
covered  them  with  bruises  and  wounds.  They 
were  almost  naked  and  on  the  point  of  starvation. 


174  THE  INDIANS'  BEVENGE;  OB 

These  sad  remnants  of  once  happy  families  were 
now  fed  and  cared  for;  and  after  days  of  fear  and 
anxiety  which  it  is  not  in  the  power  of  pen 
adequately  to  describe,  they  might  now  hope  for 
a  quiet  sleep.  Alas  !  their  unfortunate  parents, 
brothers  and  sisters  were  lying  dead  on  the  open 
prairie ! 

Justina  Krieger,  who  had  been  seriously 
wounded  and  dragged  from  the  wagon,  regained 
consciousness  during  the  night,  and  although 
extremely  weak  she  attempted  to  get  up.  She 
then  heard  threatening  words  in  Sioux  and  noticed 
some  Indians  near  her,  whereupon  she  fell  back  as 
if  she  were  dead.  Two  Indians  came  up  and 
began  to  rob  the  bodies  of  the  slain.  When  they 
came  to  her  one  of  them  kicked  her  and  the  other 
felt  her  pulse,  and  even  placed  his  hand  over  her 
heart.  But  she  remained  quiet  and  held  her 
breath  and  closed  her  eyes.  They  were  talking 
together  in  their  own  language  and  believed  her 
to  be  dead.  In  an  instant  she  felt  a  sharp  knife 
at  her  throat  with  which  the  Indian  cut  open  her 
clothing,  moving  the  knife  downwards  over  her 
breast,  inflicting  serious  wounds  and  almost  dis 
embowelling  her.  When  they  had  stripped  her  of 
her  clothing  they  took  her  by  the  hair  and  dragged 
her  away  a  few  steps.  Again  she  became  uncon 
scious.  The  next  thing  she  noticed  was  the  same 
horrible  work  of  the  two  Indians,  how  they  took  a 
hold  of  her  niece,  Wilhelmina  Kitzmann,  who  was 
still  alive,  and  pulled  her  clothing  over  her  head. 


DAYS  OP  HORROR  OK  THE  FRONTIER.      175 

Then  one  of  them  held  one  of  her  limbs  in  his 
left  hand,  and  with  his  knife  in  his  right  he  began 
to  separate  the  flesh  from  the  bone.  The  unfor 
tunate  girl  twisted  her  body  into  all  conceivable 
shapes  until  the  limb  broke  and  was  severed  from 
the  body.  She  only  cried:  "  O  God  !  O  God  !" 
Thus  mutilated  she  was  left  for  dead.  Her  two 
little  sisters,  who  were  crying  most  pitifully,  were 
taken  along  by  the  Indians. 

After  a  few  hours  Mrs.  Krieger  found  that  her 
left  side  was  partly  paralyzed.  She  tried  to  gather 
a  few  pieces  of  clothing  from  the  dead  but  she  did 
not  succeed.  As  soon  as  she  thought  it  safe  she 
crept  towards  her  own  house,  and  found  a  few 
pieces  of  clothing  near  by.  She  did  not  venture 
to  go  in,  but  went  farther  on  to  a  creek  where  she 
washed  the  blood  from  her  wounds.  She  went  on, 
and  finally  reached  the  next  settlement,  where  she 
remained  for  three  days.  It  was  a  distance  of 
nine  miles.  Whenever  she  noticed  Indians  or 
heard  any  noise  she  would  hide  herself.  And 
thus  she  plodded  along,  not  knowing  where  she 
was  going. 

On  Sunday  evening  she  found  several  dead 
bodies  and  many  articles  of  furniture.  On  the 
third  day  of  her  sufferings  she  came  to  a  road, 
and  following  this  for  some  distance  found  water. 
Excessive  thirst  had  parched  her  lips  and  tongue. 
And  thus  did  she  wander  about  for  twelve  days, 
having  at  times  only  a  few  drops  of  dew  to  quench 
her  thirst.  On  the  thirteenth  day  she  reached 


176  THE  INDIANS'  KEVENGE;  OR 

Beaver  Creek,  everywhere  stumbling  over  dead 
bodies  of  men,  women  and  children.  Again  she 
went  towards  the  woods  where  she  sat  down  and 
fell  asleep.  Finally  she  reached  the  valley  of  the 
Minnesota  Kiver  where  she  found  a  piece  of  a 
buffalo-robe  that  served  her  for  a  bed,  and  she 
took  a  little  rest.  A  few  wild  plums  were  her 
only  food.  It  then  began  to  rain  and  continued 
so  for  a  day  and  a  night.  She  then  wished  the 
Indians  might  come  and  kill  her.  She  was  so 
weak  that  she  could  hardly  rise  to  her  feet.  Two 
armed  men  were  now  approaching  her.  She 
could  not  see  whether  they  were  Indians  or  whites; 
but,  nevertheless,  felt  happy  to  think  that  in 
either  case  her  -sufferings  might  end.  When  they 
came  near  her  she  saw  that  they  were  soldiers,  and 
she  beckoned  them  to  come  up  to  her.  Her  suf 
ferings  were  now  over.  Dr.  Daniels,  who  was  one 
of  the  party,  dressed  her  wounds,  and  nothing 
was  left  undone  to  comfort  her.  She  was  brought 
to  Fort  Eidgely,  and,  under  the  care  of  Dr.  Mul- 
ler  and  his  estimable  wife,  she  soon  recovered. 
She  rejoiced  to  find  most  of  her  children  there. 
Of  the  baby  left  at  Thiele's  house  nothing  is 
known. 

On  the  the  3d  of  November,  1862,  she  was  mar 
ried  to  John  J.  Meyer,  whom  she  met  at  St.  Paul, 
and  who  lost  his  whole  family  during  those  awful 
days. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


Other  Accounts. — Cruelty  and  Fierceness  of  the  Savages. — 
An  Example  of  Diabolical  Atrocity. — Terrible  Sufferings 
Endured.— Accounts  of  Physicians. — Justina  Bolter's 
Wanderings. — Lavina  Eastlick's  Adventure. — Enormous 
Loss. — A  Flourishing  Settlement  Buined. — Official  Ke- 
ports  of  Deaths. — Seven  Hundred  Dead  and  Thirty 
Thousand  Fugitives. —Estimate  too  Low. — Flight  of  the 
Guilty  Sioux  to  Devil's  Lake. — Ta-tan-ka-ma-zin. — John 
Other  Day's  Services. —Material  Loss. — End  of  Chief 
Little  Crow. — Expedition  to  Devil's  Lake. — Little  Crow's 
Bold  Answer. — Sampson  and  His  Son  Chauncey  Dis 
cover  Little  Crow  and  his  Son  near  Hutchinson.— A 
Fight.— Little  Crow  Killed  by  Chauncey  Sampson.— The 
Chief's  Son  Escapes. — Little  Crow  Scalped  and  Be 
headed  by  the  Soldiers. — Wa-wi-na-pa,  Little  Crow's 
Son. — His  Account.— Little  Crow's  Wives  and  Children. 
— An  Avenging  Justice. 

A  FARMER  with  two  of  his  sons  was  at  work 
in  a  field.  Twelve  Indians  came  upon  them 
and  killed  them  without  a  moment's  warning. 
From  there  they  went  into  the  farmer's  house  and 
killed  two  of  his  children,  and  then  dragged  their 
mother  (who  was  sick  of  consumption)  together 
with  her  daughter  into  their  camp.  They  tore 
every  vestige  of  clothing  from  the  poor  girl's  body, 
and  before  the  eyes  of  her  mother,  fiendishly 
abused  her  until  death  came  to  her  relief.  The 
fate  of  the  captive  women  is  beyond  the  power  of 


178  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;  on 

words  to  describe,  nor  would  common  decency 
permit  as  much  as  a  partial  unveiling  of  their 
horrible  and  revolting  sufferings.  Children  were 
everywhere  nailed  to  buildings  or  trees,  and 
served  as  targets  for  throwing  knives  and  toma 
hawks  until  life  was  extinct.  A  child  was  taken 
from  the  mother's  womb  and  flung  into  her  face. 
The  Indians  found  another  woman  baking  bread. 
They  took  her  baby  and  cast  it  into  the  oven,  and 
compelled  the  bewildered  woman  to  roast  it;  and 
then  took  the  roasted  flesh  and  threw  it  in  her 
face.  They  finally  mutilated  the  poor  woman  in  a 
most  horrible  manner.  All  the  fiendish  cruelties 
were  heaped  upon  the  dead.  The  soldiers  found 
a  great  many  of  the  dead  bodies  in  a  condition 
which  can  not  be  here  described.  It  seems  as  if 
hell  desired  to  exercise  its  torments  on  earth,  in 
order  to  give  man  a  vivid  proof  of  its  refinement 
of  cruelties. 

The  sufferings  and  trials  endured  during  this 
time  were  so  numerous  and  great  that  it  would 
seem  incomprehensible  to  realize  the  length  of 
human  endurance,  even  under  the  tortures  of  the 
Indian  savage.  Indeed,  the  author  would  run 
the  risk  of  being  regarded  as  a  writer  of  fiction, 
were  it  not  for  the  unimpeachable  testimony  of 
physicians  and  thousands  of  other  reliable  eye 
witnesses.  Among  these  are  Dr.  Muller  and  Dr. 
Weshke  of  New  Ulm,  Dr.  Daniels  of  St.  Peter 
and  Dr.  McMahon  of  Mankato,  who  were  con 
stantly  attending  the  sufferers. 


DAYS  OP  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.      179 

Justina  Boeltes,  nee  Wendland,  of  Posen,  Ger 
many,  came  to  this  country  in  1854.  Her  husband, 
John  Boeltes,  was  killed  on  the  18th  of  August 
on  the  banks  of  the  Upper  Minnesota.  During 
eight  weeks  she  roamed  through  the  woods  with 
her  four-year-old  child.  One  of  her  children, 
aged  six,  died  from  the  effects  of  hunger  and 
exposure.  Poorly  clad  and  barefooted,  with  noth 
ing  except  water-melons,  fruit  and  raw  potatoes  as 
food,  and  water  for  drink;  exposed  to  the  inclem 
ency  of  the  weather,  and  without  a  fire  to  warm 
herself,  she  wandered  about  with  her  child. 
Destruction  and  death  seemed  to  dog  her  every 
footstep.  Always  and  everywhere  she  could  see 
nothing  but  Indians  robbing,  murdering  and 
plundering.  Only  on  the  27th  of  October  did  the 
unfortunate  woman  find  some  soldiers  belonging 
to  General  Sibley's  expeditionary  corps.  She  had 
been  driven  from  her  home  on  the  18th  of  August. 
Still  herself  and  child  recovered. 

Maria  Schwandt  went  through  similar  trials. 

Lavina  Eastlick,  of  Lake  Shetek  settlement, 
seventy  miles  west  of  New  Ulm,  and  an  equal 
distance  from  the  Lower  Agency,  was  almost  the 
only  person  who  escaped  from  the  massacre  of  the 
20th  of  August  at  that  settlement.  Her  husband 
was  among  the  dead.  She  was  wounded  in 
one  of  her  feet,  had  several  gunshot  wounds  on 
her  head,  and  a  bullet  pierced  her  right  hand  and 
side  above  the  hip.  When  she  was  crawling  from 
the  road  an  Indian  struck  her  on  the  head  with 


180         ;       THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;  "OB 

his  rifle  and  left  her  for  dead.  On  the  seventh 
day  she  was  found  near  New  Ulm,  sixty  miles  from 
the  place  where  she  was  wounded.  Her  son 
Merton,  aged  twelve,  carried  his  fifteen-month's- 
old  brother  over  fifty  miles.  For  nearly  a  week 
they  were  thus  exposed,  poorly  clad  and  having 
nothing  to  eat,  except  what  could  be  procured 
in  the  woods. 

The  material  losses  which  the  settlers  experi 
enced  were  very  great.  A  young  and  prosperous 
settlement  was  not  only  greatly  weakened  but 
almost  destroyed.  Thousands  of  immigrants  who 
would  have  settled  in  the  great  Northwest  were 
frightened  away  from  this  beautiful  and  fertile 
region.  No  one  can  exaggerate  the  extent  of  the 
drawback  to  the  prosperity  of  the  settlements  by 
the  loss  of  so  many  valuable  lives.  Official 
reports  give  the  number  of  the  dead  a  little  above 
seven  hundred.  The  reporter,  Major  Galbraith, 
making  a  premature  return,  did  not  include  those 
who  died  from  the  effects  of  their  wounds.  He 
was  himself  under  the  impression  that  the  num 
ber  of  the  dead  must  be  greater,  since,  according 
to  the  same  official  report,  the  number  of  fugitives 
was  about  thirty  thousand;  and  of  these  one  can 
easily  see  that  at  least  one  thousand  may  have 
been  put  to  death.  It  is  well  known  that  in  many 
of  the  settlements  the  majority  were  killed. 
Moreover,  it  was  scarcely  possible  to  obtain  accu 
rate  returns.  The  settlements  were  very  large; 
people  were  coming  and  going  all  the  time,  and 


DATS  OP  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.      181 

many  of  these  were  not  even  known  by  their  near 
est  neighbors.  The  bodies  of  persons  positively 
known  to  have  been  killed  were  not  found  among 
the  dead.  Many,  therefore,  must  have  been  killed 
of  whom  nothing  was  ever  known. 

According  to  the  report  of  General  Sibley,  four 
thousand  Sioux,  on  being  pursued  by  the  military, 
fled  to  Devil's  Lake,  Dakota,  a  distance  of  five 
hundred  miles,  in  the  fall  of  1862.  Each  one  of 
those  was  more  or  less  guilty  of  the  wanton  de 
struction  of  lives  and  property.  It  was  almost 
impossible  to  capture  them  in  that  wild  country. 
Had  they  been  conscious  of  their  innocence,  they 
would  not  have  exposed  themselves  to  sufferings 
and  privation  such  as  a  flight  of  this  nature  neces 
sarily  entailed  upon  them.  They  would  have  fol 
lowed  the  example  of  Chief  Ta-ta-ka-na-zin 
(Standing  Buffalo),  and  given  themselves  up  freely. 
Some  of  the  Indians  belonging  to  his  tribe  had, 
however,  taken  part  in  the  massacre.  This  chief 
and  several  others,  among  whom  was  also  Eed 
Iron,  suffered  greatly  at  the  hands  of  their  people 
because  they  tried  to  prevent  them  from  taking  part 
in  the  massacre. 

The  same  praise  is  due  to  another  chief,  John 
Other-Day,  who  was  for  a  time  in  danger  of  death 
because  he  advised  his  tribe  to  keep  aloof  from 
the  butcheries.  He  also  saved  the  lives  of  over 
two  hundred  captives,  whom  the  Sioux  were 
determined  to  put  to  death,  when  they  saw  the 
soldiers  following  in  hot  pursuit. 


182  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;   OB 

With  regard  to  the  loss  of  property,  Major 
Galbraith  said,  on  the  13th  of  February,  1863, 
that  two  million  dollars  was  not  too  high  an  esti 
mate.  Towards  the  end  of  1862  two  thousand 
nine  hundred  and  forty  claims  for  damages  were 
made.  The  losses  sustained  by  the  Government 
were,  of  course,  not  included.  Allowing  only  five 
hundred  dollars  to  every  claimant,  it  would  bring 
the  total  to  one  million  four  hundred  and  seventy 
thousand  dollars. 

In  spite  of  the  utmost  exertions  of  both  officers 
and  soldiers,  they  were  not  able  to  capture  the 
chief  leader  in  the  massacre,  Tah-o-ah-ta-doo-ta 
(His  Scarlet-red  People),  commonly  known  as 
Little  Crow.*  When  Generals  Sibley  and  Sully 
marched  to  Devil's  Lake  (Miniwakan)  with  a  large 
army  in  the  Spring  of  1863,  where  it  would  have 
been  impossible  for  them  to  go  during  the  winter, 
in  order  to  capture  the  Indians,  they  were 
especially  anxious  to  capture  Chief  Little  Crow. 
They  gained  their  main  object,  the  capture  of  the 
Indians;  but  the  chief  had  escaped.  It  is  said 
that  when  General  Sibley,  in  June,  1863,  inquired 
after  his  whereabouts,  the  proud  chief  answered 
him  thus:  "If  you  wish  to  know  where  I  am,  I 
will  say  that  you  may  soon  meet  me  at  Yellow 

*He  inherited  his  name  "  Little  Crow  "  from  his  grand 
father,  who,  superstitious  as  Indians  generally  are,  always 
wore  the  skin  of  a  crow  over  his  breast  to  prevent  the  Evil 
Spirit  from  attacking  him.  The  Chippewas,  therefore, 
called  him  mockingly  the  "Chief  of  the  Crows,"  and  his 
little  nephew  "The  Little  Crow." 


DATS  OF  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.      183 

Medicine/'  This  place  was  located  between  the 
two  agencies,  where  the  first  butchery  took  place, 
about  sixty  miles  above  New  Ulm. 

This  haughty  reply  was  made  on  the  1st  of 
June,  1863,  at  St.  Joseph,  near  Devil's  Lake.  On 
the  3d  of  July,  1863,  Little  Crow  was  seen  by 
Sampson  and  his  son  Chauncey  near  Hutchinson, 
forty-eight  miles  north  of  New  Ulm  and  some  five 
hundred  miles  from  St.  Joseph.  It  was  towards 
the  evening  when  they  saw  two  Indians  picking 
berries,  but  the  Indians  did  not  notice  them.  The 
place  was  covered  with  shrubbery  and  all  sorts  of 
vines.  Sampson,  who  was  hiding  in  the  grass, 
crept  slowly  up  to  a  small  tree,  leveled  his  rifle 
and  fired.  The  bullet  had  taken  effect  and  the 
Indian  fell  to  the  ground. 

It  is  well  to  notice  here  that,  after  the  outbreak, 
every  Sioux,  wherever  and  whenever  he  was 
found  within  a  settlement,  could  be  shot.  This 
privilege  was  granted  the  settlers  on  account  of 
the  many  murders  that  were  committed  by  the 
Sioux  even  after  the  close  of  the  last  out 
break.  Many  an  innocent  Indian,  no  doubt,  lost 
his  life  during  that  time.  The  settlers  never  left 
their  homes  without  their  rifles.  The  seal  of  the 
State  seems,  therefore,  very  appropriate.  * 

Sampson  now  tried  to  steal  back  somewhat, 
fearing  there  might  be  more  Indians  near  by.  On 

*  It  represents  a  farmer  at  the  rising  or  setting  of  the  sun, 
having  his  rifle  at  his  side,  and  a  mounted  Indian,  clad  in 
his  war  costume. 


184  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;  OR 

his  retreat  he  crept  over  a  little  knoll,  and  in 
doing  so  exposed  himself  to  the  Indians.  The 
wounded  Indian  hastily  followed  him,  and  when 
Sampson  was  on  the  knoll  three  shots  were  fired 
simultaneously  by  the  two  Indians  and  young 
Sampson.  The  wounded  Indian  was  killed  by 
Chauncey,  whilst  a  bullet  whizzed  hard  by  his 
own  head.  Sampson  was  struck  in  the  shoulder 
by  a  buckshot  from  the  wounded  Indian.  The 
other  Indian  mounted  his  horse  and  galloped 
away. 

Sampson,  on  being  wounded,  fell  to  the  ground. 
His  son  believing  him  to  be  dead,  and  fearing  the 
Indians,  did  not  dare  to  go  up  to  him,  but  ran 
towards  Hutchinson,  where  he  arrived  at  10 
o'clock,  causing  great  excitement  by  his  report. 
Several  of  the  soldiers  of  Company  E,  who  were 
camped  there,  immediately  left  with  some  citizens 
for  the  scene  of  the  fight,  and  sent  to  Preston  for 
a  detachment  of  cavalry.  Meanwhile,  Sampson, 
wounded  as  he  was,  crept  into  the  bush  and  pre 
pared  his  rifle  and  revolver  for  a  new  attack.  He 
took  off  his  white  shirt  so  as  not  to  be  noticed  in 
the  dark.  But  when  he  found  that  everything 
was  quiet  around  him,  he  arose  and  started  to 
Hutchinson,  which  place  he  reached  at  2  o'clock 
the  next  morning. 

The  calvary  sent  out  found  the  dead  Indian, 
scalped  him  and  severed  the  head  from  his  body. 
The  Indian  was  of  medium  height,  between  fifty 
and  sixty  years  old  and  had  gray  hair.  His  front 


DAYS  OF  HORKOB  ON  THE  FRONTIER.      185 

as  well  as  his  back  teeth  were  double.  His  right 
arm  had  once  been  broken  and  had  not  been  set 
right,  and  his  left  arm  had  withered.  The  body 
was  brought  to  Hutchinson  and  thrown  into  a 
cess-pool  into  which  all  the  refuse  of  the  slaughter 
houses  was  deposited.  The  head  was  lying  on  the 
prairie  for  several  days  until  some  one  picked  it 
up  to  prepare  it  for  a  show-case.  According  to 
the  testimony  of  his  son,  who  was  captured  near 
Devil's  Lake  about  a  month  later,  the  corpse  thus 
treated  was  that  of  the  dreaded  Little  Crow  him 
self. 

Little  Crow's  son,  Wa-wi-na-pa,  was  for  a  long 
time  a  captive  at  Fort  Snelling,  near  St.  Paul. 
He  said  his  father  told  him  at  St.  Joseph  that  he 
was  too  old  to  fight  against  the  whites,  that  they 
should  go  down  and  steal  some  horses  for  the 
children  and  then  he  would  leave  them.  He  also 
explained  how  the  second  shot  from  the  Sampsons 
killed  his  father.  Little  Crow  then  told  his  son 
that  he  was  killed,  asked  for  some  water,  which 
was  given  him,  after  which  death  speedily  ensued. 
The  youth  then  fled  to  Devil's  Lake.  Little  Crow 
left  a  large  family.  He  had  six  wives,  of  whom 
four  were  sisters.  These  Indians  believe  that 
when  a  wife  has  a  certain  number  of  children  the 
husband  must  marry  another.  Little  Crow  had 
in  all  twenty-two  children. 

We  have  here  evidences  of  a  higher  and  supreme 
justice.  Little  Crow,  through  whose  fault  many 
a  faithful  father  was  assassinated,  dies  in  the  same 


186  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;  OR 

way  at  the  side  of  his  son.  Death  comes  to  him 
by  the  hand  of  a  mere  boy.  How  many  an  inno 
cent  child  had  on  his  account  to  roam  about 
neglected  and  forlorn!  Crow's  son  flees  from  his 
dead  father,  and,  after  much  suffering  and  hard 
ship  on  a  flight  of  five  hundred  miles,  he  is  pur 
sued  by  his  enemies,  captured  and  led  away.  The 
dead  bodies  of  the  poor  victims  whom  they 
sacrificed  to  the  demon  of  revenge  were  lying 
about  on  the  prairies  for  weeks  before  they  could 
be  buried.  Here  the  body  of  the  renowned  chief 
finds  not  a  grave,  but  is  left  to  rot  among  the 
refuse.  Who  will  not  confess  that  there  is  an 
avenging  justice  above  the  justice  of  earth  and  of 
man?  The  punishment  which  the  Government 
tried  in  vain  to  inflict  upon  the  guilty  chief  was 
inflicted  upon  him  by  a  stronger  hand,  thus  to 
some  extent  paying  the  penalty  for  a  long  career 
of  wickedness  and  crime. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


Conclusion.— Any  Change  for  the  Better  in  Dealing  with 
tho  Indians. — Only  a  Pause.— Shameful  Treatment  of 
the  Eedskins. — Crackers  and  Strychnine. — The  Pious 
E.  P.  Smith. — Three  Hundred  and  Three  Thousand 
Dollars  of  Indian  Money. — Battle  in  Montana. — Indian 
Cruelties  Continue. — Expeditions  of  Generals  Terry 
and  Custer.— General  Crook's  Defeat.— A  Dark  War 
Cavalcade. — Custer's  March  to  Little  Horn  River. — The 
Last  Signal.— Three  Hundred  Soldier's  Killed.— Sitting 
Bull's  Attack  on  Major  Reno's  Troops. — End  of  the 
Eastern  Army. — Brave  Soldiers  know  How  to  Die. 

THE  Indian  outbreak  of  1862  should  have 
been  the  means  of  inducing  the  Indian 
departments  to  treat  the  redskins  with  more  jus 
tice,  but  thus  far  there  has  been  no  change.  So 
long  as  the  principal  officers  and  leaders  are 
guided  by  the  spirit  of  a  narrow-minded  and  in 
tolerant  Puritanism,  there  is  no  hope  for  the 
Indians.  As  soon  as  the  agencies  are  placed 
under  military  control,  there  may  be  a  pause,  but 
only  a  pause,  in  the  work  of  defrauding  and  mal 
treating  them. 

"  Quidquid  id  eat,  timeo  Danaos,  et  dona  ferentes." 

When  savages  are  provoked  their  acts  of  revenge 

are  terrible;   but  the  acts  of  injustice  by  which 

their  patience  is  tried  and  exhausted  must  be  still 

greater.     Two  years  ago  one  of  the  commanding 


188  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;  OR 

officers,  in  his  expedition  against  the  Indians, 
caused  several  barrels  of  crackers  to  be  mixed  with 
strychnine  for  the  Indians.  The  unsophisticated 
and  starving  redskins  ate  greedily,  and  hundreds 
of  them  died  from  the  poison.  Yet,  this  was  done 
in  the  face  of  civilization  and  charity! 

How  the  Indians  at  the  Agencies,  and  especially 
the  female  portion,  are  treated  by  the  agents,  em 
ployes,  and  sometimes  by  the  soldiers,  official  re 
ports  do  not  tell  us.  What  is  to  be  said  if  the 
most  fanatically  pious  are  the  greatest  rascals? 
There  was  the  pious  E.  P.  Smith,  a  Methodist 
minister,  who  used  to  say  grace  at  the  hotels  for 
the  benefit  of  the  whole  neighborhood.  "When  he 
became  Commissioner  of  Indian  Affairs  at  Wash 
ington  he  removed  the  head  clerk,  Smooth, 
because,  according  to  his  books,  Smith  owed  the 
Indians  three  hundred  and  three  thousand  dollars. 
Smith  appointed  a  Miss  Cook,  a  niece  of  his,  to 
patch  up  the  books.  She  was  an  expert,  but  did 
not  ultimately  succeed  well.  Mr.  Smooth  was 
reinstated  after  a  while.  The  three  hundred  and 
three  thousand  dollars,  however,  had  mysteriously 
disappeared.  Brother  Smith,  after  having  appro 
priated  the  title  to  considerable  tracts  of  land  in  a 
manner  peculiar  to  himself,  went  to  Africa  as 
Superintendent  of  the  Negro  missions. 

Meanwhile  the  Indians  were  not  indifferent  in 
contending  fiercely  for  their  rights. 

Sitting  Bull,  chief  of  the  Sioux  and  Dakota 
Indians,  on  the  25th  of  June,  1876,  at  the  mouth 


DAYS  OP  HORROR  ON  THE  FRONTIER.      189 

of  the  Little  Horn  Eiver  in  the  Black  Hills,  com 
pletely  demolished  General  Ouster's  army,  con 
sisting  of  five  companies.  Not  one  man  escaped. 
General  Ouster  himself  and  his  two  brothers  were 
among  the  dead.  And  now  a  cry  of  revenge  has 
gone  forth  and  preparations  are  made  for  the 
destruction  of  the  Sioux.  But  they  have  in  reality 
only  defended  themselves  against  encroachments 
upon  their  own  lands,  which  were  in  addition 
secured  to  them  by  treaty.  Indeed,  the  history  of 
the  wrongs  against  the  Indians  has  not  yet  been 
written.  In  reference  to  this  sad  disaster  we  give 
the  following  from  the  correspondent  of  a  St. 
Louis  paper: 

"A  terrible  Indian  battle  took  place  in  the  Little 
Horn  river  valley  on  the  25th  of  June.  To  give 
our  readers  a  fuller  understanding  of  the  affair  we 
must  go  back  a  few  months.  Three  separate 
detachments  of  troops  were  sent  out  in  the  Spring 
by  President  Grant  into  the  vicinity  of  the  "Yellow 
stone  in  order,  at  least,  to  compel  them  to  relin 
quish  their  claims  to  the  Black  Hills  or  destroy 
the  Sioux  nation  altogether.  Generals  Terry  and 
Ouster  left  Fort  Abraham  Lincoln  with  one  thous 
and  men  and  went  southwest.  General  Crook  of 
Fort  Laramie  went  northward  over  Fort  Fetter- 
man  with  an  equal  number  of  soldiers,  and  General 
Gibbon  left  Montana,  going  east  with  seven  hun 
dred  men.  All  three  generals  were  to  meet  near 
the  Little  Horn  and  Rosebud  rivers.  And  it 
was  expected  that  these  armies  would  annihilate 
Sitting  Bull  and  his  three  thousand  warriors. 
But  Sitting  Bull  did  not  wait  until  he  was  com 
pletely  surrounded.  He  kept  his  whole  army  in 


190  THE  INDIANS'  REVENGE;  OR 

the  center  and  attacked  the  hostile  forces  in  detail 
as  they  approached.  The  first  vigorous  attack 
was  made  on  the  17th  of  June  upon  General  Crook 
and  his  army.  He  gained  a  complete  victory  and 
his  loss  was  only  eleven  dead  and  twenty-eight 
wounded. 

' '  While  the  defeated  Government  troops  were 
attending  to  the  wounded  Sitting  Bull  was  on  his 
way  northward.  An  eagle  in  its  lofty  flight  might 
have  detected  the  camp-fires  of  General  Terry 
ninety  miles  from  the  Rosebud  battlefield.  And 
thither  Sitting  Bull  hastened  with  his  three  thous 
and  warriors,  gathering  up  the  warriors  of  allied 
tribes  on  their  way.  It  was  a  march  of  six  days 
and  six  nights.  On  the  seventh  day  they  reached 
the  extensive  village  of  the  Dakotas,  on  the  banks 
of  the  Little  Horn.  They  were  welcomed  with  a 
cry  of  unbounded  joy.  News  had  reached  them 
that  at  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Horn  a  white 
General  (Terry)  had  entered  the  Big  Horn  with  a 
steamer,  and  that  the  great  pale-face  was  leading 
thousands  of  horsemen  with  blue  coats  against 
their  little  huts. 

"  The  taking  of  an  Indian  village,  the  burning 
of  their  tepees  and  the  killing  of  squaws  and 
papooses  was  so  great  and  glorious  an  undertaking 
that  a  first-class  General  had  to  be  placed  in 
charge  of  it.  Phil.  Sheridan,  the  conqueror  of 
the  Pigean  Indians  and  of  the  bandits  of  New 
Orleans,  was  not  there,  and  so  the  discoverer  of 
the  Black  Hills  and  the  great  friend  of  the  North 
ern  Pacific,  General  Ouster,  was  the  next  in  order. 

"  During  the  last  hours  of  the  night  from  the 
24th  to  the  25th  of  June,  General  Ouster,  with  his 
two  brothers,  a  nephew,  a  brother-in-law,  thirteen 
officers  and  five  companies  of  cavalry  advanced 
slowly  toward  the  Indian  village.  His  way  led 


DAYS  OP  HOEEOB  ON  THE  FRONTIER.      191 

through  a  few  ravines.  They  had  now  passed 
through  two  of  these,  and  from  a  little  hill  they 
commanded  a  full  view  of  the  peaceful  little 
village.  There  may  have  been  about  two  thousand 
little  huts  there  standing  at  a  respectable  distance 
from  each  other.  Down  this  incline  and  through 
that  pass  yonder,  and  we  are  upon  them!  The 
great  Indian  killer  waves  his  hand,  the  drum 
beats  and  the  attack  is  made.  It  was  General 
Ouster's  last  signal  and  it  was  the  last  response 
his  poor  men  ever  made.  Not  one  of  them  was 
able  to  put  his  flaming  torch  to  a  Dakota  tepee. 
Sitting  Bull's  advance  guard  fell  upon  them  in  the 
pass,  shot  and  stabbed  them  and  dragged  them 
from  their  horses  until  the  last  man's  blood  of  the 
little  army  of  three  hundred  and  fifteen  had 
saturated  the  earth. 

"  From  a  distant  hill  the  reserve  of  three  com 
panies  had  a  full  view  of  the  butchery  of  their 
companions.  Since  the  landing  of  the  Mayflower 
such  a  terrible  thing  had  not  taken  place;  five 
companies  of  United  States  soldiers  yielding  up 
their  lives  under  the  cruel  knives  and  deadly 
bullets  of  two  thousand  Indians. 

"  In  the  meantime  Sitting  Bull,  at  the  head  of 
his  main  army,  was  facing  Major  Eeno,  who 
wanted  to  attack  the  village  from  the  south  side. 
Eeno  was  at  the  head  of  seven  companies,  but 
displayed  greater  prudence  than  Ouster.  When 
the  enemy  came  upon  him  they  found  him  occu 
pying  a  favorable  position.  Sitting  Bull,  there 
fore,  thought  it  more  advisable  to  surround  them, 
and  thus  Beno  and  his  five  hundred  men  had  to 
endure  a  siege  which  lasted  twenty-four  hours, 
during  which  they  suffered  the  loss  of  many  lives. 
General  Gibbon  arrived  from  Montana  and  rescued 
them," 


SITTING  BULL 


A  Sequel  to  the  War  of  1876.— Sitting  "Bull  Eeturns  to  tlie 
United  States,  and  is  given  a  Eeservatiou. — A  New  War 
in  1890. — Discontented  Indians  get  Crazy  over  a  New 
Messiah.— The  Ghost  Dance.— Sitting  Bull  at  the  Bot 
tom  of  the  Trouble.— His  Tragic  Death.— The  Battle  of 
Wounded  Knee. — Ouster  Revenged. — Immense  Slaughter 
of  the  Indians. — Peace  Eestored. — But,  if  Government 
Agents  are  again  Dishonest,  the  End  is  not  yet. 

THE  savages  were  finally  conquered  by  the 
strong  arm  of  a  regular  and  disciplined 
force.  But  Sitting  Bull,  Chief  of  the  Sioux, 
could  not  be  induced  to  enter  upon  any  friendly 
relations  with  the  palefaces,  and,  with  a  small 
number  of  followers,  withdrew  into  British  terri 
tory.  In  the  year  1880,  however,  he  returned  to 
the  United  States  at  the  request  of  the  British 
Government,  by  which  his  presence  was  considered 
undesirable,  and  even  dangerous,  on  account  of 
the  many  Indian  tribes  whom  he  might  induce  to 
go  on  the  war-path.  He  was  promised  an  uncon 
ditional  pardon  for  his  past  offences,  and  a  reser 
vation  was  set  aside  for  him  near  Standing  Rock 
Agency  in  Dakota.  In  1888,  the  Government 
desired  to  transfer  the  Indians  from  there  to 
another  reservation.  Sitting  Bull  was  not  inclined 
to  obey,  and  he  induced  his  tribe  to  resist  the 
9 


194  ADDENDA. 

demands  of  the  Government.  He  was  a  true  type 
of  an  independent,  liberty-loving  Indian,  and  was 
not  entirely  without  education.  He  frequently 
enjoyed  the  company  of  white  people,  and  had 
several  audiences  with  the  President  at  Washing 
ton.  But  the  more  he  saw  of  our  civilization  and 
its  progress,  the  more  bitterly  did  he  hate  the 
white  race.  He  wrote  a  good  letter  in  the  English 
language.  Catholic  missionaries  exerted  a  strong 
influence  upon  him;  but  his  bigamous  practices 
prevented  him  from  embracing  Christianity.  He 
was  killed  in  the  outbreak  of  1890  and  was  fifty- 
three  years  old  at  the  time  of  his  death.  How  he 
met  death,  and  what  some  prominent  men  have 
said  about  him,  and  the  Indian  problem  in  general, 
may  well  find  a  place  here. 

Toward  the  latter  part  of  1890  and  the  begin 
ning  of  1891,  a  great  and  singular  excitement  took 
place  among  the  Indians.  The  Sioux,  especially, 
had  for  a  long  time  suffered  much  at  the  hands  of 
the  whites  and  from  other  causes.  They  were 
threatened  with  starvation,  and  Government  aid 
seemed  too  far  away  to  reach  them.  In  their 
despair  they  turned  to  their  medicine-men  for 
relief,  and  seemed  ready  to  avail  themselves  of 
anything  that  gave  them  hope.  In  the  midst  of 
all  this  a  false  prophet  in  the  shape  of  a  powerful 
medicine  man  arose  among  them,  predicting  the 
coming  of  a  deliverer  who  would  restore  them  to 
their  former  independence  and  happiness. 


ADDENDA.  195 

Time  out  of  mind  they  have  looked  forward  to 
this  powerful  Leader  who  was  to  be  sent  to  them 
by  the  Great  Spirit.  He  was  to  raise  from  the 
dead  all  the  warriors  of  the  past  and  lead  them 
against  the  white  race,  who  were  to  be  entirely 
annihilated.  The  countless  herds  of  buffalo  that 
in  times  past  roamed  over  the  plains  were  to  be 
restored  to  them,  and  the  wild  revelry  of  the  old 
hunting  days  were  to  come  back  again.  The 
prophet  stated  that  all  these  things  were  to 
happen  "  when  they  were  most  afflicted  and  most 
oppressed."  This  was  followed  by  the  "  Ghost 
Dances,"  which  resulted  in  the  wildest  orgies,  and 
drove  many  of  the  Indian  tribes  into  absolute 
madness,  on  account  of  the  violence  of  the  excite 
ment  it  created. 

There  was  scarcely  an  Indian  settlement  from 
Alaska  to  Mexico  that  did  not  await  with  savage 
rites  the  promised  coming  of  the  Messiah. 

Mrs.  J.  A.  Finley,  wife  of  the  Postmaster  and 
trader  at  Pine  Ridge  Agency,  went  out  to  see  the 
dances  after  they  had  been  in  progress  for  some 
time ,  and  thus  describes  them : 

"  Four  hundred  and  eighty  Indians  were  in  one 
of  their  dances.  Iii  preparing,  they  cut  the  tall 
est  tree  they  could  find,  and,  having  dragged  it  to 
a  level  piece  of  prairie,  set  it  up  in  the  ground. 
Under  this  tree  four  of  the  head  men  stood. 
Others  formed  a  circle  and  began  to  go  around 
and  around  the  tree.  The  dance  commenced  on  a 


196  ADDENDA. 

Friday  afternoon  and  was  kept  up  Saturday  and 
Sunday,  until  sundown.  During  all  this  time  they 
neither  ate  nor  drank.  They  kept  going  about  in 
one  direction  until  they  became  so  dizzy  that  they 
could  scarcely  stand;  they  then  turned  and  went 
in  the  other  direction  and  kept  it  up  until  they 
swooned  from  exhaustion.  This,  it  seems,  is  what 
they  desire;  for  while  they  are  in  that  swoon  they 
think  they  see  and  talk  with  the  Messiah.  When 
they  recovered  they  told  their  experience  to  the 
four  wise  men  under  the  tree.  The  poor  creatures 
lose  all  senses  in  the  dance.  They  think  they  are 
animals.  When  they  cannot  lose  their  senses 
from  exhaustion,  they  butt  their  heads  together 
and  beat  them  on  the  ground,  and  do  anything  to 
become  insensible  so  that  they  may  be  ushered 
into  the  presence  of  the  Messiah.  .  .  . 

"  At  the  end  of  the  dance  they  had  a  grand  feast, 
the  revel  lasting  all  Sunday  night." 

It  seemed  to  them  as  if  it  were  necessary  to  their 
existence  to  have  these  orgies.  They  had  a  strong 
effect  on  the  minds  of  the  Indians,  and  it  was 
an  easy  matter  to  precipitate  war.  The  Govern 
ment  issued  orders  strictly  forbidding  them  to 
carry  on  those  dances.  But  they  went  on  neverthe 
less.  It  was  supposed  that  Sitting  Bull  was  one 
of  the  principal  abettors.  The  false  prophet  was 
a  relative  of  his,  and  while  he  pretended  to  dis 
courage  the  craze  among  his  people,  he  connived 
at  it  all. 


ADDENDA.  197 

Orders  were  given  at  Washington  to  have  this 
troublesome  chief  arrested,  and  the  Hon.  William 
F.  Cody,  the  celebrated  Indian  scout,  well  known 
as  "  Buffalo  Bill,"  was  detailed  for  that  purpose. 
Cody  was  in  Europe  at  the  time,  exhibiting  his 
"  Wild  West  Show,"  which  was  a  combination  of 
trained  Indians,  cowboys  and  others,  illustra 
tive  of  American  frontier  life.  In  obedience  to 
the  orders  of  the  Government  he  left  his  business 
in  the  hands  of  an  agent  and  came  to  the  United 
States.  No  one  was  more  fitted  to  perform  that 
important  and  dangerous  duty  than  Col.  Cody, 
for  he  was  perfectly  familiar  with  the  general  traits 
and  character  of  the  Indian,  and  of  the  Sioux 
tribe  in  particular.  The  order,  however,  was  con 
sidered  untimely;  it  was  revoked,  and  Cody  re 
turned  to  Europe  without  having  performed  any 
service  for  the  Government.  It  is  questionable  if 
this  was  not  a  mistake.  Cody's  diplomacy  might 
have  prevented  the  loss  of  life  which  followed. 

Subsequently,  this  policy  was  reconsidered,  and 
it  was  agreed  that  if  Sitting  Bull  were  arrested 
the  excitement  would  cease.  A  detachment  of 
twenty  Indian  police,  accompanied  by  two  troops 
of  the  Eighth  Cavalry  under  the  command  of 
Major  McLaughlin  and  Captain  Fetchet,  and  a 
company  of  infantry,  was,  accordingly,  on  Sunday 
morning,  December  14th,  1890,  sent  to  arrest  him. 
This  order  was  not  inopportune,  as  has  since  then 
been  proved,  for  many  of  the  Indians  had  already 
left  the  reservation  for  the  Bad  Lands,  a  not  distant 


198  ADDENDA. 

part  of  Central  Dakota,  comprising  "  one  of  the 
most  extraordinary,  fantastic,  repelling  and  deso 
late  regions  in  the  world."  They  had  already 
built  fortifications  there,  and  were  preparing  for  a 
desperate  conflict  with  the  United  States  authori 
ties.  The  order  of  arrest  resulted  in  the  death  of 
Sitting  Bull,  a  graphic  sketch  of  which  is  sub 
joined  from  one  of  the  news  correspondents  of  the 
time.  The  cavalry  kept  within  supporting  dis 
tance,  lest  resistance  should  be  made  to  the  carry 
ing  out  of  the  order.  This  is  an  Associated  Press 
account  of  the  tragedy: 

"  When  the  Indian  police  reached  Sitting  Bull's 
camp  they  found  the  Indians  ready  to  march. 
Their  ponies  were  painted  and  many  of  the  sav 
ages  had  stripped  for  war.  The  police  made  a 
dash  into  the  camp  and  seized  Sitting  Bull.  They 
were  on  their  way  back  to  Standing  Rock  with 
their  prisoner  when  a  son  of  the  famous  chief 
urged  his  comrades  to  recapture  the  old  man. 
The  women  and  children  were  left  in  the  bushes, 
and  then,  with  yells,  the  hostiles  charged  on  the 
police,  firing  as  they  came.  A  hand-to-hand 
struggle  ensued,  during  which  Sitting  Bull,  who 
was  not  shackled,  gave  his  orders  in  a  loud  voice- 

"  For  several  minutes  the  firing  was  heavy  and 
deadly.  In  a  furious  fusilade  Sitting  Bull  fell 
from  his  saddle  pierced  by  a  bullet;  but  it  is  not 
known  whether  it  was  fired  by  the  charging  party 
or  by  one  of  the  police.  The  son  of  Sitting  Bull 
was  slain  almost  at  the  first  volley  of  the  police. 


ADDENDA.  199 

The  hostiles  fired  with  deadly  accuracy,  and  slowly 
drove  the  police  from  the  field.  If  the  cavalry 
had  not  come  up  at  this  time  it  is  probable  the 
force  would  have  been  annihilated.  The  soldiers 
were  quick  to  enter  into  action.  A  skirmish  line 
was  thrown  out,  and  then,  kneeling  and  firing  as 
they  advanced,  the  troops,  with  machine  guns 
playing  over  their  heads,  poured  a  withering  fire 
into  the  savages.  Sitting  Bull's  body,  which  had 
been  abandoned  by  the  police,  was  secured,  as 
well  as  that  of  his  son,  and  taken  to  Standing 
Rock.  After  the  fight  was  over  the  followers  of 
the  dead  chief  struck  out  for  the  Bad  Lands." 


The  Battle  of  Wounded  Knee. 


The  death  of  Sitting  Bull  created  intense  excite 
ment  all  through  the  Indian  country.  Instead  of 
giving  relief  to  the  anxiety  felt,  it  aroused  the 
keenest  apprehension.  For  it  was  feared  that  the 
followers  of  the  dead  chief  would  revenge  his 
death  by  falling  on  all  the  settlers  within  reach, 
on  their  retreat  to  the  Bad  Lands.  They  were 
full  of  fight  and  vengeance.  Consequently,  refu 
gees  from  all  the  surrounding  settlements  flocked 
into  the  neighboring  towns  of  Bismarck  and  Man- 
dau  for  safety.  Gen.  Miles,  then  in  command, 


200  ADDENDA. 

made  every  preparation  to  forestall  any  catas 
trophe,  and  set  about  the  movement  of  his  troops 
to  prevent  any  concentration  of  the  Indians.  So 
he  directed  the  troops  to  destroy  or  capture  all 
those  who  escaped,  after  the  death  of  Sitting  Bull. 
General  Miles  said  that  the  order  for  this  arrest 
was  not  given  too  soon,  as  he  had  reliable  informa 
tion  that  he  was  about  leaving  with  one  hundred 
fighting  men.  There  were  still,  however,  two 
hundred  and  fifty  lodges,  or  over  one  thousand 
fighting  Indians,  in  the  Bad  Lands. 

From  a  very  interesting  work,  entitled  "  Sitting 
Bull  and  the  Indian  War,"  recently  written  and 
compiled  by  W.  Fletcher  Johnson,  we  are  pleased 
to  make  a  few  extracts  on  the  subsequent  events — 
the  "Battle  of  Wounded  Knee"  in  particular — 
which  will  complete  this  Tiistory  of  the  Indian 
troubles  up  to  the  date  of  its  publication: 

"  Sitting  Bull  was  dead,  and  thus  the  first  of 
two  decisive  measures  was  accomplished.  Now 
came  the  second,  the  disarming  of  Big  Foot's 
band.  Although  these  Indians  had  surrendered 
in  entire  good  faith,  they  were  most  suspicious 
and  uneasy.  The  tragic  fate  of  Sitting  Bull  had 
alarmed  them,  and  they  only  half  trusted  their 
white  captors.  There  were  those  among  them 
who  believed  that  they  were  all  to  be  put  to  death, 
and  when  the  surrender  of  their  weapons  was 
talked  of,  this  belief  was  much  intensified.  They 
naturally  supposed  that  their  arms  were  to  be 


ADDENDA.  201 

taken  from  them  only  to  render  them  defenseless, 
and  therefore  easier  victims.  It  was  in  this  state 
of  mind  that  they  went  into  camp  on  the  bank  of 
Wounded  Knee  Creek,  a  place  destined  to  become 
famous  as  the  scene  of  one  of  the  most  bloody 
Indian  battles  of  recent  years. 

"  Col.  Forsythe  arrived  at  the  carnp  on  Wounded 
Knee  Creek  early  on  the  morning  of  December 
29th,  with  orders  from  Gen.  Brooke  to  disarm 
Big  Foot's  band.  Col.  Forsythe  assumed  com 
mand  of  the  regulars,  with  two  battalions  of  500 
men,  with  Hotchkiss  guns.  It  was  feared  that  the 
Indians  would  offer  resistance,  and  every  precau 
tion  was  taken  to  prevent  an  escape  and  to  render 
the  movement  successful.  Col.  Forsythe  threw 
his  force  around  the  Indian  camp  and  mounted 
the  Hotchkiss  guns  so  as  to  command  the  camp, 
and  at  eight  o'clock  issued  the  order  to  disarm  the 
redskins. 

"  The  preparations  were  quickly  made.  The 
command  was  given  to  the  Indians  to  come  for 
ward  from  their  tents.  This  was  done,  the  squaws 
and  children  remaining  behind  the  tepees.  The 
braves  advanced  a  short  distance  from  the  camp 
to  the  place  designated,  and  were  placed  in  a  half 
circle,  the  warriors  squatting  on  the  ground  in 
front  of  the  tent  where  Big  Foot,  their  chief,  lay 
sick  with  pneumonia.  By  twenties  they  were 
ordered  to  give  up  their  arms.  The  first  twenty 
went  to  their  tents  and  came  back  with  only  two 


202  ADDENDA. 

guns.  This  irritated  Major  Whiteside,  who  was 
superintending  this  part  of  the  work. 

"  After  a  hasty  consultation  with  Col.  Forsythe 
he  gave  the  order  for  the  cavalrymen,  who  were 
all  dismounted  and  formed  in  almost  a  square, 
about  twenty-five  paces  hack,  to  close  in.  They 
did  so,  and  took  a  stand  within  twenty  feet  of  the 
Indians.  When  this  had  been  done  a  detachment 
of  cavalry  went  through  the  tepees  to  search  for 
arms.  They  found  about  fifty  rifles.  But,  in  the 
meantime,  the  Indian  warriors,  who  were  firmly 
and  naturally  convinced  that  they  were  about  to 
be  put  to  death,  raised  their  plaintive  death  chant. 
Then,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  they  changed  it 
to  their  war-song,  and  before  the  startled  soldiers 
could  realize  what  was  happening,  the  Indians 
drew  their  rifles  from  beneath  their  blankets  and 
opened  fire.  Those  Indians  who  had  no  guns 
rushed  on  the  soldiers  with  tomahawk  in  one  hand 
and  a  scalping-knife  in  the  other.  The  troops 
outnumbered  the  Indians,  three  or  four  to  one, 
and  the  case  from  the  first  was  hopeless.  It  was 
simply  the  last  desperate  death-struggle  of  brave 
men  who  believed  they  were  all  to  be  massacred, 
and  who  meant  to  sell  their  lives  as  dearly  as 
possible. 

"  The  fight  lasted  for  over  an  hour.  During 
this  time  Captain  Wallace  and  seven  troopers 
were  killed  and  fifteen  wounded,  including  Lieut. 
Garlington,  of  Arctic  fame.  The  slaughter  among 
the  savages  was  terrible>  despite  the  fact  that  the 


ADDENDA.  203 

soldiers  had  to  run  them  down  in  their  ambus 
cades.  When  the  fight  had  fully  begun  the 
troopers  cheered  one  another  with  the  cry 
"Kemember  Ouster!"  The  regiment  fought  as 
only  men  with  a  revengeful  grievance  can  fight. 
There  was  no  disorder  after  the  first  shock  of 
surprise  had  passed  away.  On  foot,  and  mounted, 
the  troopers  deployed  in  all  directions,  driving 
the  savages  from  cover  and  sending  them  in  dis 
order  to  the  more  impregnable  buttes  to  the  north. 
Nearly  one  hundred  Indians  fell  before  the  sheet 
of  flame  that  swept  from  the  batteries  and  guns 
of  the  United  States  troops.  The  manner  in 
which  Big  Foot's  band  turned  upon  their  captors, 
stood  before  the  terribly-raking  fire  and  shot 
down  so  many  soldiers,  rivals  anything  that  has 
accompanied  the  Indian  wars  of  America.  Though 
encumbered  with  their  squaws  and  papooses,  they 
almost  snatched  victory  from  defeat,  and  dis 
played  a  degree  of  reckless  daring  and  bravery 
that  has  rarely  been  equalled. 

"The  instant  the  attack  began,  the  soldiers, 
maddened  at  the  sight  of  their  falling  comrades, 
hardly  awaited  the  command,  and,  in  a  moment, 
the  whole  camp  was  a  sheet  of  fire,  above  which 
the  smoke  rolled,  obscuring  the  central  scene 
from  view.  Through  this  horrible  curtain  single 
Indians  could  be  seen  at  times  flying  before  the 
fire,  but  after  the  first  discharge  from  the  car 
bines  of  the  troops  there  were  few  of  them  left. 
They  fell  on  all  sides  like  grain  before  the  scythe. 


201  ADDENDA. 

"Indians  and  soldiers  lay  together,  and, 
wounded,  fought  on  the  ground.  Off  toward  the 
bluffs  the  few  remaining  warriors  fled,  turning 
occasionally  to  fire,  but  now  evidently  caring  more 
for  escape  than  battle.  Only  the  wounded  Indians 
seemed  possessed  of  the  courage  of  devils.  From 
the  ground  where  they  had  fallen  they  continued 
to  fire  until  their  ammunition  was  gone  or  until 
killed  by  the  soldiers.  Both  sides  forgot  every 
thing  excepting  the  loading  and  discharging  of 
guns. 

' '  It  was  only  in  the  early  part  of  the  affray  that 
hand-to-hand  fighting  was  seen.  The  carbines 
were  clubbed,  sabres  gleamed  and  war-clubs  cir 
cled  in  the  air,  coming  down  like  thunderbolts. 
But  this  was  only  for  a  short  time.  The  Indians 
could  not  stand  that  storm  from  the  soldiers.  It 
was  only  a  stroke  of  life  before  death.  The  rem 
nant  fled  and  the  battle  became  a  hunt. 

"  It  was  now  that  the  artillery  was  called  into 
requisition.  Before,  the  fighting  was  so  close  that 
the  guns  could  not  be  trained  without  danger  of. 
death  to  the  soldiers.  Now,  with  the  Indians  fly 
ing  where  they  might,  it  was  easier  to  reach  them. 
The  Gatling  and  Hotchkiss  guns  were  trained,  and 
then  began  a  heavy  firing,  which  lasted  half  an 
hour,  with  frequent  heavy  volleys  of  musketry  and 
cannon.  It  was  a  war  of  extermination  now.  It 
was  difficult  to  restrain  the  troops.  Tactics  were 
almost  abandoned.  About  the  only  tactics  was  to 
kill  while  it  could  be  done,  wherever  an  Indian 


ADDENDA.  205 

could  be  seen.  Down  into  the  creek  and  up  over 
the  bare  hills  they  were  followed  by  artillery  and 
musketry  fire,  and  the  engagement  went  on  until 
not  a  live  Indian  was  in  sight. 

"More  than  ninety  Indians  were  killed  by  the 
deadly  fire  from  the  Hotchkiss  guns  and  the  un 
erring  aim  of  the  soldiers.  But  when  the  smoke 
cleared  away  it  was  found  that  the  firing  of  the 
redskins  was  only  a  degree  less  effective  than  that 
of  the  well- trained  troopers.  Twenty-five  brave 
soldiers  were  scattered  on  the  field  and  thirty  five 
others  were  suffering  from  serious  wounds. 

"Chief  Big  Foot  was  lying  in  his  tepee,  dying 
of  pneumonia,  when  the  battle  began.  He  slowly 
drew  himself  up,  but  had.  hardly  reached  an  erect 
position  when  at  least  twenty  bullets  struck  him, 
and  he  pitched  forward,  never  to  rise  again.  His 
squaw  rose  to  her  feet  with  a  Winchester  in  her 
hand,  when  a  bullet  struck  her  in  the  heart,  and 
she  sprang  convulsively  in  the  air,  rolling  down 
the  hill  like  a  ball. 

' '  When  the  troopers  got  fairly  at  work  they 
poured  a  deadly  fire  into  the  savages,  who  were 
hurrying  with  their  guns  to  the  crags  and  cliffs 
and  buttes  which  surrounded  the  camp.  Many  of 
the  hostiles  leaped  upon  their  ponies  before  the 
battle  had  fairly  opened  and  fled  toward  the  Bad 
Lands. 

"  The  Indians  formed  no  order  of  battle.  Each, 
man  fought  for  himself,  and  the  soldiers  were  at  a 
disadvantage  from  the  start.  Captain  Hayden 


206  ADDENDA. 

and  his  artillerymen  worked  desperately  to  get 
their  guns  to  perform  effective  service;  but  they 
were  so  slow  at  their  work  that  most  of  the  casu 
alties  had  occurred  before  the  shells  began  to 
burst  over  the  ambuscades  of  the  hostiles.  Cap 
tain  Hayden  had  one  Hotchkiss  gun,  which  was 
used  to  some  effect  before  the  howitzers  began  to 
work.  The  Indians  have  an  everlasting  hatred  for 
cannon  and  the  men  who  work  them;  and  it  was 
noticeable  that  in  this  battle  the  heaviest  fire  from 
the  enemy  was  directed  toward  the  artillerymen, 
among  whom  there  were  several  casualties. 

Dr.  Chas.  A.  Eastman  of  Boston,  a  full-blooded 
Sioux,  who  visited  the  battle-field  after  the  conflict, 
wrote  the  following: 

"  On  Thursday  morning  I  visited  the  field  of 
battle,  where  all  those  Indians  were  killed  on  the 
Wounded  Knee,  last  Monday.  I  went  there  to 
get  the  wounded,  some  who  were  left  out.  The 
soldiers  brought  with  them  about  twenty-five,  and 
I  found  eleven  who  were  still  living.  Among 
them  were  two  babies,  about  three  months  old,  and 
an  old  woman  who  is  totally  blind,  and  was  left 
for  dead.  Four  of  them  were  found  out  in  a  field 
in  the  storm,  which  was  very  severe.  They  were 
half  buried  in  the  snow.  It  was  a  terrible  and 
horrible  sight  to  see  women  and  children  lying  in 
groups,  dead.  I  suppose  they  were  of  one  family. 
Some  of  the  young  girls  wrapped  their  heads  with 
shawls  and  buried  their  faces  in  their  hands.  I 


ADDENDA.  207 

suppose  they  did  that  so  that  they  would  not  see 
the  soldiers  come  up  to  shoot  them.  At  one  place 
there  were  two  little  children,  one  about  one  year 
old,  the  other  about  three,  lying  on  their  faces, 
dead,  and  about  thirty  yards  from  them  a  woman 
lay  on  her  face,  dead.  These  were  away  from  the 
camp  about  an  eighth  of  a  mile. 

"In  front  of  the  tents,  which  were  in  a  semi 
circle,  lay  dead  most  of  the  men.  This  was  right 
by  one  of  the  soldier's  tents.  Those  who  were 
still  living  told  me  that  that  was  where  the  Indians 
were  ordered  to  hold  a  council  with  the  soldiers. 
The  accounts  of  the  battle  by  the  Indians  were 
simple,  and  confirmed  one  another,  that  the  sol 
diers  ordered  them  to  go  into  camp,  for  they  were 
moving  them,  and  told  them  that  they  would  give 
them  provisions.  Having  done  this  they  (the 
Indians)  were  asked  to  give  up  their  arms,  which 
was  complied  with  by  most  of  them,  in  fact  all  the 
old  men;  but  many  of  the  younger  men  did  not 
comply,  because  they  either  had  no  arms,  or  con 
cealed  them  in  their  blankets. 

' '  Then  an  order  was  given  to  search  their  per 
sons,  and  their  tents  as  well;  and  when  a  search 
was  made  of  a  wretch  of  an  Indian,  who  was 
known  as  "  Good-for-Nothing,"  he  fired  the  first 
shot  and  killed  one  of  the  soldiers.  They  fired 
upon  the  Indians  instantaneously.  Shells  were 
thrown  among  the  women  and  children,  some  of 
which  mutilated  them  most  horribly." 

When  General  Brooke  sent  Father  Jule,  a 
missionary,  to  the  camp  of _  the  hostiles,  to  learn 


208  ADDENDA. 

the  cause  of  their  grievances  and  what  the  im 
pulses  were  that  moved  them  to  desperation.  A 
council  was  held,  and,  after  much  deliberation,  a 
petition  drawn  up,  signed  by  Hollow  Bear  and 
fifty-two  other  representatives — men  of  the  differ 
ent  Sioux  families.  It  was  as  follows: 

"  To  THE  PRESIDENT. — Great  Father,  this  day  we 
write  you  a  letter  with  a  good  heart.  When  we 
gave  up  the  Black  Hills  you  told  us  in  that  treaty 
that  a  man  would  get  three  pounds  of  beef  a  day. 
The  meaning  was  three  pounds  for  one  man. 
Besides,  you  said  we  could  get  food  just  like  the 
soldiers.  You  did  not  give  it  to  us  at  that  rate. 
We  are  starving,  and  beg  you  to  give  it  to  us  just 
so  as  you  have  promised.  Thirty  men  of  us  get 
for  eighteen  days  only  one  cow  to  eat.  That  is 
why  we  mention  it;  and  if  you  do  not  understand 
it,  send  money,  and  Hollow  Horn  Bear  and  five 
men  will  come  to  you.  Great  Father,  if  you  do 
nob  want  to  do  so,  then,  please  let  us  have  a  sol 
dier  for  agent/' 

The  war  of  1890-91  was  an  example  of  the  same 
kind  of  mismanagement  by  Government  officers, 
and  dishonesty,  too,  on  the  part  of  an  agent. , 
The  Sioux  were  suffering  great  privation — many 
actually  starving.  Under  the  circumstances  they 
became  desperate  and  determined,  since  there  was 
no  help  in  man,  to  seek  the  "  Messiah;"  and,  if 
they  must  die,  to  die  fighting  their  pale-faced  foes. 


ADDENDA.  209 

Mr.  Donaldson,  one  of  the  Government  census 
agents,  has  recently  shown  by  actual  record,  that 
from  July  4th,  1776,  to  June  30,  1886,  the  Indians 
had  cost  the  Government  $929,239,28402.  And 
it  is  safe  to  say  that,  since  that  computation,  the 
expenses  of  the  last  few  years  will  bring  the 
amount  up  to  one  thousand  millions  of  dollars — 
about  one-third  what  the  War  of  the  Rebellion 
cost.  The  story  of  dealing  with  the  Indians,  and 
the  story  of  their  wars  is  one  of  "  expense,  'bar 
barity  and  shame." 


We  judge  the  Indian  with  prejudice,  and,  con 
sequently,  with  injustice.  Not  taking  into  ac 
count  his  savage  nature  and  unfavorable  surround 
ings,  we  expect  of  him  all  that  can  be  of  a  civilized 
man.  But  without  the  positive  influences  of 
Christianity,  a  lasting  conversion  and  thorough 
civilization  is  next  to  impossible.  A  mistake  is 
made  in  trying  to  force  upon  this  people  one  cer 
tain  form  of  Christianity.  At  many  of  the  Agen 
cies  they  are  compelled  to  accept  the  Christianity  of 
a  certain  sect.  Many  are  grievously  offended  at 
this.  Such  proceedings  have  always  a  bad  effect. 
The  Indians  heartily  despise  the  pious  formalities 
and  outward  show  of  Puritanism  which  has  been 
forced  upon  them.  Their  keen  powers  of  obser 
vation  soon  gives  them  an  insight  into  these  hypo 
critical  professions,  and  Christianity  becomes  to 
them  an  object  of  contempt,  which  they  cast  aside 
at  the  first  opportunity.  Every  revolt  and  out 
break  furnish  proof  of  this.  Those  who  had  em 
braced  Christianity  always  joined  their  Pagan 


210  ADDENDA. 

brethren  whenever  any  deeds  of  violence  were  to 
be  perpetrated  against  the  whites.  The  Sioux  have 
frequently  and  earnestly  asked  for  Catholic  mis 
sionaries,  but  their  request  was  never  noticed  at 
"Washington. 

The  large  salaries  that  have  been  paid  their 
"  spiritual "  agents  (whose  wives,  daughters  and 
cousins  also  drew  large  salaries  as  their  assistants 
in  some  official  capacity)  was  looked  upon  by  them 
as  systematic  plunder.  Cold  and  indifferent  treat 
ment  at  the  hands  of  the  Great  Father  at  Wash 
ington,  of  which  President  Harrison,  in  dealing 
with  the  Sioux  delegates,  has  recently  given  an 
example,  is  not  calculated  to  make  them  love  the 
white  man  and  his  religion. 

Evil  will  always  bring  forth  evil.  Moreover, 
these  aborigines  cannot  understand  why  their 
lands  can  be  taken  from  them,  tract  after  tract,  by 
the  palefaces,  since  they  are  the  real  and  original 
owners — the  only  real  Americans — who,  together 
with  their  descendants,  have  the  only  rightful 
claim  to  that  title.  As  far  as  this  world  is  con 
cerned  it  was  to  the  old  Indians  a  paradise. 
Their  hunting  grounds  were  boundless,  their 
fisheries  exhaustless,  and  their  pastures  almost 
without  limit.  Free  from  all  restraints,  the  Son 
of  the  Wilderness  could  roam  about  in  the  most 
beautiful  forests  on  the  face  of  the  earth,  and  eat 
and  rest  on  the  soft,  fur-covered  couch  of  his  wig 
wam.  He  knew  no  care  for  the  coming  day. 

But  the  palefaces  have  changed  all  this  for  him. 


ADDENDA.  211 

Pictures  from  the  German  Sioux  Mission. 


A  correspondent  of  the  Illinois  Staats-Zeitung , 
writing  from  St.  Francis  Mission,  Rosebud  Agency, 
South  Dakota,  under  date  January  16,  1891,  gives 
the  following  graphic  account  of  affairs  at  the 
Mission  at  that  date  : 

"  I  do  not  believe  in  a  premeditated  plan  of  Sit 
ting  Bull,  or  any  other  chief,  to  enter  upon  a  gen 
eral  revolt.  Those  who  knew  Sitting  Bull  deny  it. 
But,  since  he  is  dead, Tie  cannot  defend  himself. 
If  Col.  Gallagher  had  remained  the  agent  at  Pine 
Eidge,  and  Mr.  Wright  had  been  at  our  reserva 
tion  at  the  time,  I  believe  no  military  interference 
would  ever  have  been  necessary,  and  we  would 
have  had  no  stampede  and  no  bloodshed.  The 
craze  would  have  died  out,  as  it  had  no  other 
foundation  than  the  story  of  the  '  spirit '  and  the 
empty  promises  and  threats  of  Short  Bull  and  his 
associates.  According  to  what  many  Indians  tell 
me  of  the  latter,  he  must  have  been  a  sort  of  sor 
cerer.  Anyway,  he  knew  how  to  keep  their  expec 
tations  alive  from  day  to  day.  But  this  could  not 
have  lasted  for  any  length  of  time.  He  had  spo 
ken  of  a  fire  which  was  to  consume  the  earth,  of 
a  cyclone  destroying  everything,  of  a  fearful  hail 
storm,  and  of  a  deluge.  Nothing  came  to  pass. 
His  promises  about  his  magical  coats  against  which 
bullets  could  not  prevail  would  soon  have  been 


212  ADDENDA. 

found  to  be  equally  vain,  and  the  strongest  faith 
in  him  would  have  been  shaken,  and  the  Indians 
would  have  loaded  the  deceiver  with  shame  and 
disgrace.  How  firmly  the  Indians  believed  in 
Short  Bull  at  the  time,  even  to  those  who  seemed 
otherwise  reasonable,  is  evident  from  the  fact  that 
they  wanted  to  take  their  children  out  of  school 
for  fear  they  might  burn  up  with  us,  or  be  changed 
into  dogs  in  the  next  world,  because  they  had  not 
taken  part  in  the  ghost  dance.  I  told  them  that  if 
everything  else  perishes,  St.  Francis  Mission  would 
survive,  and  they  should  leave  their  children  where 
they  would  be  well  taken  care  of.  The  majority 
obeyed  me.  Only  a  few  removed  their  children 
secretly.  From  our  nearest  camp,  the  '  owl- 
feather  '  village,  only  three  went  with  them  into 
the  Bad  Lands. 

"  The  morning  after  the  soldiers  had  arrived  I 
held  a  council  with  them,  where  we  solemnly 
smoked  the  pipe  of  peace.  They  requested  to  ask 
Col.  Smith  for  a  white  flag.  They  remembered 
that  in  former  times  the  soldiers,  being  under  the 
influence  of  liquor,  had  killed  the  innocent  toge 
ther  with  the  guilty.  I  told  them  they  had  noth 
ing  to  fear  at  the  Mission.  Col.  Smith  did  not 
think  it  advisable,  either,  to  provide  them  with 
such  a  flag,  because  the  rebels  might  get  one  like 
it,  and  thereby  deceive  the  army.  During  the  first 
days  of  suspense,  therefore,  the  village  was  formed 
between  the  Mission  and  the  two-mile  distant 
camp.  But  when  every  thing  remained  quiet  they 


ADDENDA.  213 

soon  returned  to  their  log  cabins  to  take  care  of 
their  effects. 

"  Some  persons  had  taken  advantage  of  the  ab 
sence  of  the  fugitives  (rebels)  and  their  relatives, 
and  sold  their  hay  to  the  cavalry,  tore  down  their 
cabins  and  cut  up  the  logs  for  firewood. 

"  Our  Indians  did  not  have  a  hand  in  it.  Some 
of  them  feared  for  our  Mission,  and  at  a  council 
they  freely  offered  their  services  to  protect  us  and 
to  help  us  in  case  of  need.  '  At  your  request  we 
stayed  at  home.  You  have  made  our  hearts  strong. 
Now  we  are  glad/  How  often  have  I  since  then 
heard  these  and  similar  words ! 

"  This  reminds  me  of  an  anecdote  which  Gen. 
Brooke  related  to  Father  Craft  and  myself.  When 
Father  Jutz  brought  the  Indians  back  to  Pine 
Ridge  agency,  they  had  taken  an  old  flour-sack 
with  them  from  the  Mission  and  tied  it  to  a  long 
pole,  which  served  them  as  a  flag  of  truce.  Thus 
they  went  to  meet  the  General.  '  What  does  this 
rnjean  ?'  said  he.  {  That  we  don't  want  any  war/ 
they  replied.  '  Do  we  want  war  ?'  he  answered. 
*  We  have  come  as  the  friends  of  all  good  Indians 
and  to  secure  their  life  and  property  against  those 
who  are  inclined  to  rebel.  Away  with  the  flag  I* 
By  his  quiet,  patient  and  friendly  dealings  with 
them  he  gained  their  confidence,  and  would  have 
brought  about  an  amicable  settlement  if  Sitting 
Bull's  death  and  the  bloody  encounter  between 
the  soldiers  and  Big  Foot's  band  had  not  come  to 


214 


ADDENDA. 


interfere.      It  is  to  be  hoped  that  this  will  be 
brought  to  light  in  due  time. 

The  Indians  are  overgrown  children,  wards  of 
the  Government,  and  as  such  must  be  treated  with 
patience  and  firmness.     But  children,  it  is  said, 
are  little  men.     These  red  children  have  a  keen 
feeling  for  justice  and  brotherly  love.     They  must 
feel  that  one  means  well  with  them,  and  they  will 
be  led.     This  is  the  middle  of  January,  and  they 
have  not  yet  received  their  blankets  and  clothes, 
and  they  must  freeze.     Day  before  yesterday  one 
of  them  said  to  me:     «  The  Great  Father  must  be 
ashamed  to  hear  how  poor  we  are  after  receiving 
so  many  promises.'    He  told  me  how  they  received 
a  number  of  cows  once  during  Spotted  Tail's  time; 
but  at  that  time  they  still  lived  in  tents  and  had 
no  barns  for  their  cattle,  and  during  the  winter 
they  either  ran  away  or   died.     During   the  last 
few  years  they  have  become  more  inclined  to  work; 
but   there   are  still   a  good   many  shiftless  ones 
among  them.     Now  would  be  the  time  to  lend  the 
willing  ones  a  helping  hand.     The  consequences 
of  these  late  troubles  will  be  felt  for  a  long  time. 
What  has  been  frequently  said  prior  to  these  late 
troubles  is  true.     '  The  best  and  cheapest  thing 
for  the  Government  to  do  would  be  to  give  them 
their  rations  promptly  and  to  accustom  them  at 
the  same  time  to  farming  and  stock  raising.'    The 
question  of  water  is  an  important  one.     For  exam 
ple:  for  miles  around  the  Mission  the  soil  is  very 
good,  but  there  are  no  streams  and  the  Indians 


ADDENDA.  215 

are  not  able  to  dig  wells.  Why  could  not  the 
boring  of  artesian  wells  be  tried  ?  These  would 
greatly  increase  the  value  of  the  land  and  soon  re 
pay  the  outlay.  If  I  had  the  means  I  would  make 
a  trial.  Our  present  farmer  is  the  best  one  we 
ever  had.  He  follows  the  Indians  and  shows  a 
real  interest  in  their  advancement.  Harmony 
prevails  at  all  times  between  the  officials  and  the 
agents.  Mr.  Wright  is,  as  far  as  I  know,  a  Chi 
cago  boy,  and  his  motto  is :  '  Be  sure  you  are 
right,  and  go  ahead,'  Every  one  here  is  glad  that 
he  has  been  honorably  reinstated  in  his  office. 

"  If  you  ask  me  what  my  hopes  are,  I  will  say, 
that  everything  depends  upon  the  means  that  are 
employed  to  overcome  the  mistrust  and  bitter 
ness  caused  by  these  troubles.  These  troubles  are 
a  lesson  to  both  the  whites  and  the  redskins.  We 
must  not  judge  the  revolt  of  the  Indians  too 
harshly.  Their  mistrust  was  awakened  and  fed. 
If  they  can  be  convinced  that  the  coming  of  troops 
was  intended  for  their  own  welfare,  they  will  soon 
forget  what  has  happened.  If  a  father  shows  him 
self  kind  after  he  has  punished  the  child,  the  pun 
ishment  will  be  soon  forgotten;  and  it  will  even 
thank  the  father  as  soon  as  it  can  see  that  it  was 
in  the  wrong.  If  the  overflowing  waters  are  now 
led  into  the  right  channel,  and  if  by  instruction  in 
the  true  faith  they  are  secured  against  following 
similar  fanatical  superstitions,  then  this  may  have 
been  the  last  outbreak  of  the  Sioux.  Ploughs  and 
schools  will  do  all  they  can. 


216 


ADDENDA. 


11  In  conclusion,  I  must  relate  a  trick  the  Indian 
boys  played  on  me.  One  day  during  last  Decem 
ber  they  conducted  a  regular  ghost  dance.  As 
soon  as  they  saw  me  come  around  the  corner  they 
parted  as  suddenly  as  if  a  thunderbolt  had  dropped 
into  their  midst.  We  had  strictly  forbidden  them 
that  nonsense  from  the  start.  I  feigned  as  if  I 
had  not  noticed  anything  and  went  away.  They 
soon  gathered  again  and  tried  it  once  more.  \  ,nen 
I  could  see  a  company  of  '  soldiers/  armed>  with 
sticks  and  commanded  by  a  captain,  coming  down 
upon  the  dancers.  When  I  went  up  to  then,  they 
came  and  told  me,  very  modestly:  '  Father,  we  are 
only  playing  Short-Bull-Catch;  we  know  he  is  a 
deceiver  and  do  not  believe  him/ 

'  These  will  hardly  ever  fall  away  again. 

'  You  ought  to  have  read  some  of  the  letters 
written  by  some  of  our  scholars  to  their  parents  or 
grandparents  at  Pine  Ridge,  and  you  would  have 
said:  Vivant,  crescant,floriant! — that  is,  the  schools, 
especially  those  on  the  reservation.  They  do  much 
good.  We  have  not  seen  the  end  yet,  but  accord 
ing  to  the  latest  reports  an  amicable  settlement  is 
near  at  hand.  May  God  help  us  to  receive  our 
confused  flock  in  patience  and  love,  and  lead  them 
upon  the  right  path ! 

"p.  F.  r>.,  s.  j." 


ADDENDA.  217 

Other  Pictures  from  the  Same  Source. 

Through  the  kindness  of  a  benevolent  German 
gentleman  from  Chicago  who  is  an  active  friend  of 
the  German  Catholic  Sioux  Missions  at  the  Rose- 
bud  and  Pine  Ridge  reservations,  we  are  enabled 
to  give  extracts  from  letters  of  an  experienced 
Cath.  .c  missionary,  who,  in  company  with  others, 
devot^  himself,  with  a  noble  self-sacrifice,  to  the 
educa%>n  of  the  Sioux  children,  and,  if  possible, 
to  the  civilizing  of  the  adult  Sioux.  If  the  treat 
ment  of  the  Sioux  were,  entirely  placed  in  the 
hands  of  the  "black-gowns"  and  the  devoted 
Sisters  of  Charity,  there  would  be  no  more  Sioux 
wars.  That  the  present  troubles  have  not  assumed 
greater  proportions,  may  be  safely  attributed  to 
the  zeal  of  the  good  missionaries,  and  that  many 
of  the  Sioux  are  now  desirous  of  making  peace. 

These  letters  contain  many  interesting  word- 
pictures  of  the  life  and  doings  at  these  Missions. 
The  missionaries  are  not  blind  enthusiasts  like 
the  noble  but  very  eccentric  missionary,  Rev.  Fr. 
J.  M.  Craft,  who  can  see  only  ill-treated  angels  in 
the  Sioux.  They  do  not  overlook  the  short  com 
ings  of  these  Indians : 

"  During  this  year  (1890),  we  had  about  one 
hundred  acres  under  cultivation.  So  much  barley, 
oats  and  rye  were  raised  that  we  were  obliged  to 
build  a  granary.  Our  garden  is  now  well  irrigated. 
If  the  Indians  would  only  follow  our  example! 
10 


218  ADDENDA. 

During  the  last  four  years,  however,  it  is  evident 
that  this  teaching  is  not  in  vain.  Of  course, 
many  have,  despite  our  admonitions,  neglected  to 
select  a  good  farm  and  begin  to  cultivate  it. 
Nevertheless,  a  goodly  number  of  well-selected 
new  farms  have  come  to  light  on  the  prairie.  And 
it  is  high  time  that  the  Indians  begin  to  work  for 
their  support.  Beef,  of  which  they  received  n^til 
recently  a  sufficient  quantity,  will  be  scarcer — their 
rations  having  been  cut  down  30  per  cent.  The 
tribe  in  our  neighborhood  has  lost  nearly  half  of 
its  meat  rations.  Until  recently  they  had  a  goodly 
number  of  '  poor  souls '  on  their  lists,  and  they 
got  rations  for  the  dead  as  well  as  for  the  living. 
But  since  the  new  census  they  get  rations  only  for 
the  living — the  dead  are  not  counted  in. 

"  We  feel  the  loss  here  at  the  Mission.  As  soon 
as  these  Indians  get  hungry,  they  come  to  the 
Mission  and  beg  for  bread,  meat,  etc.  When  they 
came  too  thick  and  fast  I  made  it  a  rule  that  they 
should  first  work  a  little  for  what  they  got.  Many 
are  glad  to  get  something  to  eat  in  that  way. 
Their  rations  ought  not  to  have  been  cut  down  so 
much  at  once.  They  ought  to  have  been  told, 
during  this  year,  that  next  year  forty  or  fifty  of 
them  will  have  to  content  themselves  with  the 
amount  now  given  to  thirty,  and  that  they  should 
provide  accordingly. 

' '  They  are  not  fools,  but  they  are  lazy.  The 
progress  at  our  schools  proves  that  they  are  not 
fools.  Our  Indian  agent  was  present  at  the 


ADDENDA.  219 

*  commencement '  and  the  distribution  of  prizes, 
and  expressed  his  great  surprise.  He  said  that 
white  children  would  not  have  succeeded  any 
better,  and  probably  not  as  well,  during  that  time. 
This  is  true,  considering  the  circumstances  that 
they  have  to  deal  with  foreign  languages  against 
which  they  have  a  natural  dislike,  that  they  live 
at  the  reservation  near  their  homes  and  relatives, 
and  that  we  cannot  urge  them  on  as  they  do  the 
Government  schools,  etc. 

"  The  farm  conducted  by  our  boys  is  a  proof  of 
their  laziness.  We  had  reserved  a  portion  of  our 
farm  for  them  and  divided  it  among  them  for  cul 
tivation.  They  began  well  and  things  looked  neat. 
They  planted  cabbage,  turnips,  peas,  potatoes, 
tomatoes,  water-melons,  etc.,  and  all  went  well 
until  vacation  began,  when  they  left  the  whole 
thing  to  the. care  of  the  Great  Spirit  and  the  black- 
gowns.  Yet  when  they  came  to  us  with  empty 
stomachs  we  gave  them  something  to  eat,  but  made 
them  work  for  it.  We  told  them  that  they  could 
have  all  they  could  raise.  If  they  can  once  see 
the  fruits  of  their  labor,  they  may  begin  to  find 
pleasure  in  it. 

"  When  the  grippe  prevailed  last  winter,  and 
we  could  see  by  the  papers  that  it  had  already 
reached  Chicago,  we  began  to  pray.  Necessity 
teaches  one  to  pray,  and  prayer  is  no  superstition. 
Mrs.  Grippe  would  have  been  an  unwelcome  vis 
itor  to  our  boarding  school.  But  she  was  not  per 
mitted  to  visit  us,  although  she  was  through  the 


ADDENDA. 


whole  neighborhood.  The  physician  at  the  Agency 
said  he  had  visited  fifty-two  sick  Indians  during 
one  week.  We  had  not  a  single  case. 

"  The  Indians  feared  the  disease.  Death 
claimed  many  of  them.  A  number  of  them  called 
us  to  baptize  them.  They  generally  wait  for  bap 
tism  till  the  end  is  near.  One  Ptchincalan  Nonpa 
(Two  Calves)  who  was  a  frequent  attendant  at 
church,  but  who  was  not  yet  baptized,  called  one 
of  us.  Being  asked  what  he  wanted,  he  said:  '  I 
will  go  and  see  my  child  in  the  home  of  the  Great 
Spirit.  Baptize  me.'  The  priest  instructed  him 
and  made  him  promise  in  case  of  recovery  to 
renounce  his  superstitions,  give  up  his  '  soul- 
house'  and  go  to  church  regularly.  They  re 
peated  the  Act  of  Contrition  together  several 
times.  When  the  priest  wanted  to  repeat  it  again 
he  said:  'Inalini  matinkte'  (make  haste,  I  am 
dying).  And  indeed  he  died  soon  after  he  was 
baptized. 

"One  of  our  school  children,  a  fourteen-year- 
old  girl,  died  of  consumption  last  spring.  She 
received  the  Blessed  Sacrament  repeatedly.  Her 
favorite  prayer  during  sickness  was  'All  for  Jesus.' 
Shortly  before  her  death  she  asked  the  Franciscan 
Sister  who  waited  on  her  to  repeat  that  prayer. 
The  children  who  persevere  are  our  hopes  for  the 
future. 

<  'In  regard  to  the  'soul-houses'  (Wanagi-tipi) 
mentioned  above,  I  wish  to  say  this:  If  the  mem 
ber  of  a  wealthy  or  respected  family  dies  they 


ADDENDA.  221 

build  a  nice  large  tent  for  the  spirit  which  they 
believe  to  remain  for  a  while  after  death,  and  call 
it  a  '  soul-house/  Belatives  and  friends  bring 
presents — blankets,  moccasins,  pipes,  etc.  Even 
horses  are  given  to  them;  but  these  are  killed. 

"The  Agent  at  Pine  Ridge  told  me  last  year 
that  an  Indian  had  asked  him  to  exchange  the  ox 
he  got  from  the  government  for  a  pair  of  ponies. 
A  few  years  ago  this  man  had  a  number  of  ponies, 
but  they  had  all  gone  to  a  Wanagi-tipi.  The 
Agent  has  since  put  a  stop  to  that  nonsense  at 
Pine  Eidge.  They  rebelled  at  first,  but  the  ghost 
lodges  fell  like  the  sun-dance.  Our  Agent  did  the 
same.  He  had  no  difficulties  with  our  Indians. 
They  had  been  prepared  by  instruction  in  religion, 
and  many  had  promised  to  give  it  up.  Others 
refused  at  first,  but  were  obliged  to  give  it  up. 
The  keeper  of  a  Wanagi-tipi  is  considered  a  sacred 
person  and  must  keep  away  from  all  that  is  evil. 
I  was  told  that  one  could  attack  and  beat  him,  and 
that  he  would  not  offer  any  resistance  in  order 
to  avoid  a  quarrel  or  fight;  but  I  cannot  vouch 
for  the  truth  of  this." 


222  ADDENDA. 

Just  Complaints  of  the  Sioux, 

It  is  conceded  on  all  sides  that  the  Sioux  have 
been  ill-treated  by  the  Government  of  the  United 
States.  The  facts  which  we  are  here  relating  rest 
upon  the  testimony  of  intelligent  and  reliable  wit 
nesses.  It  is  easy  to  say  that  the  Indian  has  land 
enough  and  can  support  himself  by  cultivating  it. 
He  is  a  born  hunter  and  not  a  farmer.  He  must 
first  learn  to  till  the  soil.  Of  course,  we  are  told 
that  there  is  a  ' s  teacher  of  agriculture "  at  the 
Agency  to  teach  the  Indians.  But,  as  a  rule,  these 
teachers  know  as  little  about  farming  as  the  Indians 
themselves.  They  are  not  practical  farmers,  but 
clerks  and  such  like,  who  enjoy  their  position,  but 
hardly  ever  make  an  attempt  to  teach  that  of  which 
they  are  themselves  ignorant.  But  not  only  the 
promised  instruction  is  wanting,  but  also  the 
necessary  farming  implements,  seed,  etc. 

Justice  requires  of  us,  however,  to  make  mention 
of  the  Catholic  Sioux  Missions,  about  which  we 
have  lately  made  reports,  and  according  to  which 
the  Sioux,  in  spite  of  all  opportunities  to  learn 
something,  remained  a  shiftless  set.  Those  of  the 
Sioux  who,  despite  the  above-mentioned  draw 
backs,  carried  on  some  farming  in  Dakota  and 
Nebraska,  had,  like  their  white  neighbors,  a  very 
poor  crop  last  year. 

When"  the  different  tribes  of  the  Sioux  made 
their  submission  during  the  seventies,  the  Govern- 


ADDENDA.  223 

ment  solemnly  promised  to  protect  them  against 
hunger  and  nakedness.  But  what  has  since  been 
given  them,  such  as  meat,  bacon,  flour,  salt,  coffee, 
sugar,  blankets,  etc.,  has  not  been  in  proportion 
to  their  actual  needs.  Partly  on  account  of  the 
carelessness  and  indifference  of  Congress,  and 
partly  on  account  of  corruption  in  high  places, 
their  rations  had  grown  smaller  and  smaller,  until 
the  Indians  were  on  the  verge  of  starvation. 

Every  agreement  that  was  signed  in  good  faith 
by  the  Sioux  seem  to  have  been  ruthlessly  broken 
by  the  agents  of  the  Government.  It  is  a  dread 
ful  state  of  things  when  the  Government's  own 
reports  confirm  the  stories  of  bad  faith,  privation 
and  unjust  dealing  on  the  part  of  those  wicked 
men,  who,  through  contrivance  or  willful  negli 
gence,  are  allowed  to  rob  the  Indians. 

Who  can  blame  those  men  who  have  so  often 
and  so  grievously  been  wronged,  if  they  do  not 
trust  the  Government  any  longer? 

The  great  wrong  committed  against  the  Indians 
must  not,  however,  be  charged  to  the  present 
administration  only.  Under  the  previous  (Demo 
cratic)  administration  it  was  fully  as  bad.  The 
great  zeal  with  which  a  portion  of  the  Democratic 
press  utilizes  the  present  troubles  to  advance  party 
interests,  and  the  many  crocodile  tears  that  it  has 
shed  over  the  wrongs  that  are  committed  against 
the  Sioux,  are  simply  ridiculous. 

The  mistakes  in  dealing  with  Indian  affairs  may 
be  charged  to  the  system;  [and  Democrats  and 


224  ADDENDA. 

Kepublicans  are  alike  responsible  for  its  results. 
There  will  be  a  change  for  the  better  only  when 
the  matter  can  be  considered  and  dealt  with  inde 
pendent  of  party  interests.  The  Government  has, 
time  and  again,  broken  its  promises  and  disre 
garded  its  contracts.  These  things  enraged  sev 
eral  of  the  Sioux  tribes.  For  example:  even  to 
this  day  they  have  not  been  indemnified  for  the 
large  number  of  horses  delivered  to  the  Govern 
ment  during  the  Civil  War. 

These  things  have  helped  to  dispose  the  Sioux 
for  the  reception  of  the  Messiah  craze,  and  induced 
many  to  prefer  death  upon  the  battle  field  to  such 
a  life.  But,  before  death,  they  desired  revenge— a 
cruel  revenge. 

That  the  Indians  have  rifles,  ammunition,  knives, 
etc. ,  is  also  the  fault  of  the  different  administra 
tions.  The  Government  and  its  agents  did  not 
try  to  prevent  unscrupulous  white  traders  who 
delivered  these  things  to  the  Indians.  And,  just 
before  this  outbreak,  the  Sioux  were  very  anxious 
to  earn  money  so  as  to  be  able  to  provide  them 
selves  with  the  necessaries  of  war.  It  is  also 
thought  that  they  received  assistance  from  other 
Indian  nations,  even  from  those  in  Indian  Terri 
tory.  The  young  and  warlike  Sioux  compelled 
those  who  were  in  favor  of  peace  to  assist  them; 
and  this  had  almost  caused  a  general  Sioux  war. 
The  same  feelings  of  dissatisfaction  may  be  found 
among  many  other  Indian  tribes. 


ADDENDA.  225 

Remarks  of  Bishop  Marty  on  Sitting  Bull. 

Eight  Kev.  Martin  Marty,  Bishop  of  South 
Dakota,  has  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  Sioux. 
He  was  among  them  as  a  missionary  for  many 
years,  learned  their  language,  wrote  a  grammar 
and  a  dictionary,  and  thereby  brought  this  difficult 
tongue  within  easy  reach  of  other  missionaries  and 
the  Sisters.  He  made  the  acquaintance  of  Sitting 
Bull  before  the  latter  returned  to  the  States  from 
Canada.  At  the  request  of  the  Government, 
Bishop  Marty  went  to  see  Sitting  Bull,  in  order  to 
induce  him  to  make  his  submission  and  return  to 
the  United  States.  Later  on  he  had  a  great  deal 
to  do  with  him.  And  now  he  writes  in  regard  to 
the  great  Sioux  chief: 

"  Sitting  Bull  was  a  full-blooded  Indian,  a 
home-ruler,  a  friend  of  his  people;  and,  conse 
quently,  an  enemy  of  the  whites.  He  was  of  the 
opinion  that  the  Great  Spirit  had  created  the  land 
on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic  for  the  white 
man,  and  the  land  on  this  side  for  the  red  man, 
and  he  never  could  understand  why  God  should 
permit  the  white  man  to  take  possession  of  it. 
He,  therefore,  willingly  believed  that  the  Son  of 
God,  whom  the  whites  had  crucified,  would  now 
return  to  remove  the  whites  from  the  land  of  the 
Indians,  and  restore  to  them  the  peaceful  posses 
sion  of  their  hunting  grounds.  He  had  submitted 
to  the  Government  of  the  whites  only  as  far  as  he 


226  ADDENDA. 

was  compelled,  and  always  tried  to  remain  as 
independent  as  it  was  possible  under  the  circum 
stances. 

"  The  principles  of  Christianity,  placed  before 
him  by  Father  De  Smet,  and  later  on  fey  myself, 
had  found  favor  in  his  eyes,  and  the  black-gown 
was,  in  his  estimation,  the  only  friend  of  the 
Indians.  As  late  as  last  summer  it  was  his  inten 
tion  to  establish  a  settlement  somewhere  on  the 
Reservation  for  himself  and  his  faithful  followers, 
and  at  our  last  interview  he  gave  me  a  description 
of  the  place  and  requested  me  to  build  a  church 
and  a  school  there.  It  was  his  intention,  I 
believe,  to  become  a  Christian  himself.  Such  had 
also  been  the  intention  of  Spotted  Tail.  An 
early  death  prevented  both  of  them  from  carrying 
out  their  intentions.  The  career  of  both  of  these 
patriots  was  cut  short  by  the  hand  of  one  of  their 
own  countrymen.*  Both  gloried  in  the  fact  that 
they  had  never  taken  a  lead  against  the  whites." 

Thus  writes  Bishop  Marty.  The  great  chief  of 
the  Brules-Sioux,  Spotted  Tail,  who  was  assassi 
nated  by  a  Sioux  a  few  years  ago,  had  reached  the 
conclusion  that  the  Indians  could  be  saved  only 
through  civilizatiion.  How  well  Bishop  Marty 
understood  Sitting  Bull  is  evident  from  a  speech 
delivered  by  that  chief  in  the  presence  of  the 
Indian  Commissioners  last  year.  This  speech  was 
translated  into  English  and  runs  thus : 

*  The  policeman  who  shot  Sitting  Bull  was  an  Indian  and 
an  enemy  of  his. 


ADDENDA.  227 

"  When  did  the  red  man  ever  break  a  contract 
with  the  whites,  and  when  did  the  white  man  ever 
fulfill  a  contract  made  with  the  Indians?  Never! 
When  I  was  a  boy  the  Sioux  were  the  masters  of 
the  world.  The  sun  rose  and  set  in  their  country. 
They  could  send  ten  thousand  horsemen  into 
battle.  Where  are  their  warriors  to-day?  Who 
killed  them  ?  Where  is  our  land,  and  who  has  it 
now  ?  Where  is  the  white  man  who  can  say  that 
I  ever  stole  a  cent  from  him?  And  yet  I  ani 
called  a  thief.  What  white  woman,  weak  and  un 
protected  though  she  might  have  been,  was  ever 
insulted  by  me  ?  And  yet  they  say  that  I  am  a 
bad  Indian.  What  white  man  has  ever  seen  me 
drunk  ?  Who  has  ever  come  to  me  hungry  and 
went  away  hungry  ?" 


Mato-wan-a-ti-taka  (the  Prophet)  was  Sitting 
Bull's  wife's  sister's  son,  and  the  chief  was  stop 
ping  with  him  in  October  and  November,  1890. 


Eight  hundred  settlers  in  the  Southwest  have 
been  murdered  between  the  years  1862  and  1868. 


228  ADDENDA.  ' 

Summing  Up. 


To  make  still  stronger  our  assertion  that  bad 
faith,  unjust  dealing  and  privations  were  the  sole 
and  only  cause  of  these  Indian  troubles,  we  give 
a  letter  that  was  addressd  to  the  Secretary  of  the 
Interior  by  Mr.  F.  C.  Armstrong,  an  Indian  in 
spector.  The  letter  is  dated  Pine  Ridge,  April 
7th,  1890: 

"In  former  years  this  agency  was  allowed 
5,000,000  pounds  of  beef.  This  year  it  has  been 
reduced  to  4,000,000  pounds.  These  Indians  are 
not  prepared  for  this  change.  No  instructions 
had  been  given  the  agent  that  1,000,000  pounds  of 
beef  would  be  cut  off  from  the  Indians  this  year. 
Consequently,  issues  were  made  from  the  begin 
ning  of  the  fiscal  year— July  1st,  1889— until  the 
date  of  the  final  delivery  of  beef,  about  October 
15th,  1889,  on  the  basis  of  5,000,000  pounds  for 
the  year.  This  necessitated  a  large  reduction  in 
the  beef  issue  afterward  to  catch  up  with  the 
amount,  and  came  just  at  the  worst  season  of  the 
year.  The  Indians  were  kept  at  the  agency  be 
tween  three  and  four  weeks  in  the  farming  season 
of  1889,  when  they  should  have  been  at  home 
attending  to  their  corn. 

* c  Their  enforced  absence  attending  the  Sioux 
Commission  caused  them  to  lose  all  they  had 
planted  by  the  stock  breaking  in  on  their  farms 
and  destroying  everything  they  had.  They  have 


ADDENDA.  229 

been  compelled  to  kill  their  private  stock  during 
the  winter  to  keep  from  starving,  and  in  some 
cases  have  been  depredating  upon  the  stock  of 
white  people  living  near  the  line  of  the  reservation. 
"  A  bad  feeling  is  growing  among  the  Indians 
out  of  this,  and  may  lead  to  trouble  between  the 
settlers  and  the  Indians.  The  killing  of  a  hog 
made  the  Nez  Perces  war,  with  Indians  far  more 
advanced  than  these  people.  The  full  allowance 
of  beef  should  be  given  them.  They  complain 
and  with  good  grounds,  that  they  were  told  by  the 
Sioux  Commission  that  their  rations,  etc.,  should 
not  be  reduced;  that  while  this  talk  was  going  on 
the  Department  in  Washington  was  fixing  to  cut 
off  one-fifth  of  their  meat  supply,  but  did  not  let 
them  know  it,  nor  did  the  agent  know  it,  until 
they  had  signed  the  Sioux  Bill.  They  had  a  good 
start  in  cattle,  but  have  had  to  kill  over  three 
times  as  many  of  their  own  cattle,  old  and  young, 
as  they  did  the  year  before;  that  they  have  been 
deceived  in  doing  what  they  did  by  the  Govern 
ment,  and  that  they  don't  get  as  much  now  as 
they  did  before. 

"I  think  cutting  off  this  1,000,000  pounds  of 
beef,  and  thereby  forcing  them  to  kill  their  own 
young  cattle,  has  put  them  back  two  years  or  more 
in  raising  stock,  and  has  created  a  feeling  of  dis 
trust,  which,  unless  something  is  done  to  repair  it, 
will  lead  to  trouble  and  bad  conduct.  They  have 
now  killed  many  of  their  own  cattle  and  will  next 
commence  to  kill  range  cattle.  Already  hides  and 


230  ADDENDA. 

other   evidences  of   this  are  being  found  on  the 
reservation  borders. 

11  Men  will  take  desperate  remedies  sooner  than 
suffer  from  hunger.  Not  much  work  can  be  ex 
pected  with  the  present  feeling.  The  Indians 
who  advocated  signing  are  now  laughed  at  and 
blamed  for  being  fooled.  They  don't  get  even 
their  former  rations,  and  ask  where  are  all  the 
promises  that  were  made.  The  Government  must 
keep  faith  as  well  as  the  Indians. 

"The  attention  of  the  Department  has  fre 
quently  been  called  to  the  condition  of  the  Chey 
enne  Indians  at  this  agency,  their  dissatisfaction 
and  determination  to  do  nothing  to  better  their 
condition.  They  now  openly  say  they  will  leave 
there  this  spring,  and  therefore  have  no  intention 
of  putting  in  crops  or  doing  any  work. 

"  They  may  be  held  here  by  force,  but  it  is  ques 
tionable  if  it  is  good  policy  to  keep  them  at  Pine 
Eidge  Agency  any  longer.  The  nine  hundred 
Cheyennes  at  Tongue  Eiver,  Montana,  and  these 
five  hundred  Cheyennes  of  the  same  band  here, 
should  be  concentrated  at  one  agency.  The 
Sioux  don't  want  them  here,  and  they  don't  want 
to  stay.  They  should  not  be  kept  as  prisoners 
only.  The  Tongue  Kiver  reservation  is,  I  know, 
wanted  by  cattlemen.  They  should  be  a  secondary 
consideration.  These  Indians  should  be  concen 
trated  there,  and  a  reservation  obtained  for  them 
from  the  Crows,  and  the  Cheyennes  should  be 
moved  to  it.  They  will  then  be  satisfied,  settle 


ADDENDA.  231 

down,  and  go  io  work.  No  good  can  ever  come 
to  the  Cheyennes  if  the  course  pursued  toward 
them  during  the  last  six  years  is  continued,  and 
much  bad  may  result. 

"Why  should  Indians  be  forced  to  stay  where 
they  never  located  through  choice  ?  Put  them 
where  they  want  to  live  and  can  make  a  living, 
and  let  them  stay  there  and  do  it.  Without  some 
prompt  action  regarding  this  beef  matter,  and  also 
in  the  Cheyenne  matter,  on  this  reservation,  the 
Department  may,  this  summer  or  fall,  expect 
trouble.  I  have  thought  this  of  sufficient  impor 
tance  to  lay  it  before  the  Department,  and  to  go 
in  person  to  ask  that  some  action  be  taken.  I 
have  seen  this  Cheyenne  matter  brewing  for  two 
years,  and  I  see  now  the  Sioux  put  back  in  the 
principal  industry  on  which  they  have  to  depend. 
With  prompt  action  in  this  matter  and  a  proper 
arrangement  of  districts  for  the  issuing  of  rations, 
a  plan  for  which  I  will  submit,  these  people  will 
go  ahead.  If  not,  they  will  go  backward,  which 
to  them  is  the  easier  road." 

There  can  be  no  gainsaying  the  correctness  and 
honesty  of  these  assertions.  Mr.  Armstrong  de 
serves  honor  for  his  sincerity.  Let  us,  then,  hope 
that  the  lessons  taught  by  the  past  will  enable  us 
to  avoid  disastrous  mistakes  in  the  future. 


ANOTHER   PORTRAIT   OF   STANDING   BUFFALO. 


bIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Page. 

EEV.  ALEXANDER  BEEGHOLD  Frontispiece 

THE  CITY  OF  NEW  ULM 49 

CAN-KU-WAS-TE-WIN  (a  Sioux  Beauty) 72 

LITTLE  CROW  (Ta-o-ah-ta-doo-ta) 124 

STANDING  BUFFALO  (Ta-fcanka-nazin) 177 

LITTLE  CROW'S  SON  (Wo-wi-na-pa) 185 

SITTING  BULL 192 

ANOTHER  PORTRAIT  OF  STANDING  BUFFALO  . .  .  232 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Page. 

Introduction.  The  Chicago  Land  Company:  its  Statutes. 
A  Ball.  An  Unscrupulous  Agent.  Michigan.  Iowa. 
Two  Prospectors  sent  to  Minnesota.  The  first 
Immigrants.  St.  Paul.  Fort  Snelling.  Henderson. 
Le  Sueur.  Travers  des  Sionx.*  An  Expedition  on 
Foot.  La  Fromboise.  Looking  for  the  Promised 
Land.  Forward.  A  Deserted  Indian  Village. 
Found  the  Place 7 


CHAPTEE  II. 

New  Ulin.  Cotton  wood  Kiver.  Productive  Soil.  The 
Four  Pathfinders  Return.  New  Arrivals.  Fresh 
Courage.  An  American  Founder  of  Cities.  The 
New  Home.  Beginning  for  Winter  Quarters.  The 
First  Log  House.  Scarcity  of  Provisions.  A  Noble 
Frenchman.  Hospitality  of  the  Indians.  A  Sup 
ply  House.  Smuggling  to  Fort  Ridgely.  Indians. 
A  Lawsuit  about  Land.  La  Fromboise  helps. 
Small-pox  among  the  Indians.  A  Deserted  Corpse! 
Trade.  The  Log  House  Destroyed  by  Fire.  Cold 
and  Hunger.  An  Infant  Baptism.  'Plan  of  the 
City.  Quarrels  and  Disagreements.  Two  Town- 
sites.  A  Surveyor.  A  New  Organization.  Fight 
with  the  Indians.  First  Owners  of  Homes.  New 
Ulm.. . 


236  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  III. 

The  Cincinnati  Society.  The  Turner  Colonization  So 
ciety  Conditions  of  Purchase.  Scarcity  of  Pro 
visions.  Umbrella  Eoofs.  A  Philosopher.  Prairie 
Life.  High  Prices.  Abundance.  First  Hotel. 
Cider.  First  Brewery.  First  Saw-mill.  An  Unfor 
tunate  Occurrence.  First  Flouring-mill.  No  Credit. 
Turner  Hall  and  Turner  Society.  Churches, 
Schools  and  Congregations.  Lodges  and  Societies. 
Attractions.  Sour  Wine.  All  Germany  Repre 
sented.  Final  Success 


CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Indian  Tribes.  Naclowessies  or  Dakotas.  Customs 
and  Manners  of  the  Indians.  Fishing  and  Hunting. 
Indian  Women.  Civilized  Indians.  Arms  and 
Means  of  Subsistence.  Diseases.  Religious  Ideas. 
Virtues  and  Vices  of  the  Indians.  Polygamy. 
Hospitality.  Artistic  Taste.  Cruelty  in  War.  En 
durance 


CHAPTER  V. 

Cause  of  the  Outbreak.  Nativisra.  Indians  the  Real 
Natives.  Land  Purchase  from  the  Indians.  Pres 
ent  War  in  Dakota  Territory.  Indian  Treaties. 
Treaty  of  Washington,  1837.  Treaty  of  Traverse 
des  Sioux,  1851.  Treaty  of  1858.  Indians  cheated 
out  of  their  Money.  Tag-ma-na  and  Mahpya 
Wicasta.  Indian  Traders.  Alexander  Ramsey  and 
Hugh  Tyler.  A  Gigantic  Swindle.  How  the  Indians 
are  Civilized.  Uncle  Sam  pays,  and  Deceivers  take 
the  Money.  Cheating  everywhere.  Homes  built 
for  the  Indians,  but  they  never  occupy  them.  An 
Indian  Teacher.  Pious  Missionaries.  Procurers 
and  Half-breeds, 


CONTENTS.  237 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Continuation  of  the  Causes  of  the  Outbreak.  A  Pay-day. 
The'Sisseton  Chief  Mazasha.  Plan  to  attack  the 
Whites  fails.  Chief  Lean  Bear  and  Inkpaduta. 
Assassination  of  many  Whites  by  the  Indians. 
Little  Crow.  New  Attempts  to  Civilize.  Poor 
Crops  and  Poverty  of  the  Indians.  Civil  War  and 
the  Indians.  New  Disagreements.  Anxiety  of  the 
Indians  about  their  Money.  Soldier's  Lodge.  Signs 
of  a  Coming  Revolt.  A  Government  Warehouse. 
Keyville  Rangers.  Two  Germans  Killed.  Three 
Watchmen  and  one  Prisoner.  Anxiety  of  the  Set 
tlers  and  False  Reports  69 


CHAPTER  VII. 

The  Outbreak  in  August,  1862.  Mail-carrier  Miles. 
Paper  Money  instead  of  Gold  Coin.  A  Fraudulent 
Agent.  A  Bill  without  the  Interested  Party.  The 
Trader  Myrick  Mak-pe-ya-we-tah.  Instigations 
among  the  Indians.  The  Assassination  of  the 
families  of  Jones,  Baker  and  Webster.  A  Frightful 
Scene.  Indians  Prepare.  Indian  Gathering  on 
Rice  Creek.  The  Signal  is  given.  Drafting  at  New 
Ulm.  An  Attack.  Five  Dead  and  one  Mutilated. .  80 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

On  the  Lower  Agency.  Preparations  for  War  Noticed. 
Wagner  and  Lamb  Killed.  Attack  on  Myrick's 
Store.  Imposing  Ruins.  Pierced  by  Arrows. 
Trader  Killed.  Crossing  the  River  the  only  Safety. 
Fenske's  Wonderful  Escape.  Anton  Manderfeld's 
Adventure  in  Big  Stone  Lake.  A  Half-breed.  Po- 
kat-shi.  Flight.  Nephew's  Death.  Escape  to 
Fort  Ridgely.  News  of  the  Outbreak  at  the  Fort. 
Captain  John  S.  Marsh.  Attack  at  the  Ferry.  Cap 
tain  Marsh's  sad  end.  "Little  Priest."  News  to 
the  Savages  of  the  Upper  Agency.  Chief  "  Other 
Day."  Saving  of  Sixty  Whites 92 


238  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTEE  IX. 

Massacre  continued.  Theresa  Henle's  Account.  Death 
of  Benedict  Drexler.  Twenty-one  of  one  Family 
Massacred.  Massapust's  Tragic  End.  A  Sick  Wo 
man  shot  in  Bed.  Blood-thirstiness  of  the  Indians. 
Panic  Among  the  Settlers.  A  number  of  Fugitives. 
Means  of  Defending  New  Ulm.  Commander  Jacob 
Nix.  Sheriff  Charles  Eoos.  Living  and  Dead 
brought  to  Town.  Arms.  A  Scythe  and  Pitchfork 
Company.  New  Ulm  Barricaded.  More  Fugitives 
brought  in 10b 


CHAPTEE  X. 

August  19th.  Indians  Besiege  the  Town.  To  the  Barri 
cades!  Eeinforcements.  Earn  at  the  Eight  Time. 
Daring  Americans :  Many  lose  their  lives.  Sad 
Hearts  in  Town.  New  Eeinforcements  at  Midnight. 
Captain  Flandreau.  The  Morning  after  a  Eestless 
Night 116 


CHATEE  XI. 

Siege  of  Fort  Eidgely.  Little  Crow.  Christian  Indians 
Equally  Cruel.  Little  Crow's  Plan.  Confusion  at 
the  Fort.  Shehan  and  Jones.  Serious  Defense. 
Fear  of  the  Besieged.  Scarcity  of  Water.  Eain  at 
the  Proper  Moment,  Help  Arrives.  The  Indians 
Eaise  the  Siege.  Dr.  Alfred  Mueller  and  his  De- 
voted  Wife 

CHAPTEE  XII. 

Second  Sie^e  of  New  Ulm.  Lieutenant  Huey's  Flight. 
United  with  Captain  Cox's  Troops.  Houses  set  on 
Fire  Incendiary  Mania  in  Town.  The  Pole, 
Michelowski.  Wettendorf's  Eesidence.  A  Barrel 
of  Powder.  A  Night  of  Terror.  A  Leonidas  Troop. 
Misunderstandings.  A  Stovepipe  for  a  Cannon. 
Salvation.  Departure  from  New  Ulm.  Property 
Lost  To  Mankato  and  St.  Peter.  Back  Home. 
Eemnants  of  the  Outbreak.  Grasshoppers.  New 
Ulm  Eebuilt.  A  German  City.  Nothing  to  Fear 
from  the  Indians  


CONTENTS.  239 

CHAFTEK  XIII. 

Punishment  of  Criminals.  The  Greatest  Evil-doers  go 
Free.  A  Difficult  Campaign.  Many  Indians  Cap 
tured.  Three  Hundred  and  Three  Condemned  to 
Death.  Citizens  of  New  Ulm  and  the  Captives. 
They  were  to  be  Massacred.  Thirty-nine  Executed, 
the  others  Pardoned  by  President  Lincoln.  Names 
of  the  Condemned.  Their  Religious  Professions. 
Martial  Law  in  Mankato.  Last  Farewell  from 
Friends  and  Relatives.  Ta-ti-mi-na.  Ta-zoo  and 
Red  Iron.  Death-wailing  of  the  Condemned.  The 
Gallows.  The  Indians  Decorate  Themselves  for 
Death.  End  of  the  Condemned.  Final  Scene.  .  .  142 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

General  Events.  Suabian  Settlement.  A  Church  and 
its  Shadow.  Vincent  Bruner's  Drive.  Fugitives 
from  Lafayette.  Many  Murders.  A  Faithful  Dog. 
West  Newton.  Maria  Hartmann's  Account.  Floriau 
Hartmann's  Death.  A  Friend  after  Weeks  of  Soli 
tude.  Strangling  of  the  Faithful  Dog.  Bread  and 
Berries.  New  Love  for  Life.  A  Loaf  of  Bread 
between  Four  Dead  Bodies.  A  Walk  among  the 
the  Dead.  Safety.  Again  among  Men 152 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Justina  Krieger's  Adventure.  The  Families  Buss  and 
Rosbe  Massacred.  A  Crowd  of  Fugitives.  A  Preg 
nant  Woman  Cut  Open  and  the  Child  Nailed  to  a 
Tree.  A  Three-year  old  Child  sits  beside  the  Dead 
Body  of  its  Mother.  To  Fort  Ridgely.  A  Judas 
Kiss.  Betraying  Indians.  Money  and  Life.  A 
Wholesale  Massacre.  The  Women  Requested  to  go 
with  the  Indians.  They  are  Shot.  Others  Killed  with 
Tomahawks  and  Rifle-stocks.  Mrs.  Krieger  Shot. 
'Papa,  don't  sleep  so  long."  Deserted  Children 
A  Frightful  Hospital.  Flight  into  the  Woods.  The' 
Dead  Stripped  by  the  Indians.  A  House  with  seven 
sick  Children  Burned.  Flight  to  Fort  Ridgely 
Terrible  Sufferings  of  the  Fugitives.  Safety  after 
many  long  days.  Mrs.  Krieger's  Terrible  Night 
Undressed  with  the  Sword.  Fearful  Butchery  of 
Wilhelmma  Kitzman.  Twelve  Terrible  Days  Final 
Rescue.  In  Fort  Ridgely 162 


240  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTEK  XVI. 

Other  Accounts.  Cruelty  and  Fierceness  of  the  Sav 
ages.  An  Example  of  Diabolical  Atrocity.  Terrible 
Sufferings  Endured.  Accounts  of  Physicians.  Jus- 
tina  Bolter's  Wanderings.  Lavinia  Eastlick's  Ad 
venture.  Enormous  Loss.  A  Flourishing  Settlement 
Ruined.  Official  Reports  of  Deaths.  Seven  Hun 
dred  Dead  and  Thirty  Thousand  Fugitives.  Estimate 
too  Low,  Flight  of  the  Guilty  Sioux  to  Devil's  Lake. 
Ta-tan-ka-ma-zin.  John  Other  Day's  Services. 
Material  Loss.  End  of  Chief  Little  Crow.  Expe 
dition  to  Devil's  Lake.  Little  Crow's  Bold  Answer. 
Sampson  and  his  Son  Chauncey  Discover  Little 
Crow  and  his  Son  near  Hutchinson.  A  Fight. 
Little  Crow  Killed  by  Chauncey  Sampson.  The 
Chief's  Son  Escapes.  Little  Crow  Scalped  and  Be 
headed  by  the  Soldiers.  Wa-wi-na-pa,  Little  Crow's 
Son.  His  Account.  Little  Crow's  Wives  and  Chil 
dren.  An  Avenging  Justice 177 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Conclusion.  Any  Change  for  the  Better  in  Dealing  with 
the  Indians.  Only  a  Pause.  Shameful  Treatment 
of  the  Redskins.  Crackers  and  Strychnine.  The 
Pious  E.  P.  Smith.  Three  Hundred  and  Three 
Thousand  Dollars  of  Indian  Money.  Battle  in 
Montana.  Indian  Cruelties  Continue.  Expedi 
tions  of  Generals  Terry  and  Custer.  General 
Crook's  Defeat.  A  Dark  War  Cavalcade.  Custer's 
March  to  Little  Horn  River.  The  Last  Signal. 
Three  Hundred  Soldier's  Killed.  Sitting  Bull's 
Attack  on  Major  Reno's  Troops.  End  of  the  East 
ern  Army.  Brave  Soldiers  know  How  to  Die 187 


ADDENDA. 

A  Sequel  to  the  War  of  1876.  Sitting  Bull  Returns  to 
*  the  United  States,  and  is  given  a  Reservation.  A 
New  War  in  1890.  Discontented  Indians  get  Crazy 
over  a  New  Messiah.  The  Ghost  Dance.  Sitting 
Bull  at  the  Bottom  of  the  Trouble.  His  Tragic 
Death.  The  Battle  of  Wounded  Knee.  Custer  Re 
venged.  Immense  Slaughter  of  the  Indians.  Peace 
Restored.  But,  if  Government  Agents  are  again 
Dishonest,  the  End  is  not  yet 192 


ORNIA 
Y 


ferf 


s  -s  * 


'. 


U.C.BERKELEY  LIBRARIES 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  UBRARY 


